Red-billed gulls and their offspring have occupied every patch of grass outside the Royal Albatross Centre.
Their droppings cover the car park and the smell lingers in the air.
For the Otago Peninsula Trust’s marketing manager, and head of the Seagull Appreciation Society, Sophie Barker, this is good news for the declining species.
‘‘The smell of guano is the smell of success. It should be in our annual report, because the more it smells the better we’re doing.’’
While colonies of the gulls have declined around the country, Taiaroa Head has largely bucked the trend.
This was because of the predator control efforts around the albatross colony.
‘‘It’s been amazing to watch the chicks grow. It’s something we should celebrate.’’
As for the poo in the car park, washing it was low priority, as water needed to be trucked in and was used to cool albatrosses on hot days, she said.
