They are attracted to large garbage dumps.

... and Williamsport is one of the largest around.

I've been here going on 4 years and have never seen any. It's just strange to me that all of a sudden there's hundreds of them.

They tend to migrate inland to the dumps during the winter, go back to the shore during the summer. At least that's what I've tended to notice with the ones near the garbage dump I grew up near.

Some might stay year round both places, but there's an increase / decrease cycle based on season.

I grew up in Montoursville and there have always been seagulls. Used to always be a ton around the mall but I'm guessing they've found better places to find garbage since. Also used to see them on campus in Lock Haven (though thats obviously clinton County) Seagulls flock to anywhere there is abundant garbage, ie- garbage dumps, dumpsters, fairs, etc.

It’s because they’re going north, migration, following waterways. Go up the Susquehanna from the Chesapeake bay. Maybe heading towards Great Lakes. Been in this area since I was born and see it every year.

I wonder if it's related to "crows congregating in the city during winter" which I have read may be a response to predators (raptors) out in the countryside. So I wonder if your local flock of gulls has been congregating in a place where a new pair of eagles has set up housekeeping? Wild guess https://www.lycomingaudubon.org/

I was in wilpo 2010-2012, and I saw them back then.

I see them in Pittsburgh during winter months. But you know? I don't think I saw them this year. The ones we get here migrate down from the Arctic. I remember this happening:

https://www.wesa.fm/environment-energy/2014-03-03/with-the-great-lakes-frozen-a-rare-flock-of-seagulls-roosts-in-pittsburgh

but it seems to me we always get a few.

There is a group that lives around the highland park bridge year round

Sometimes they hangout near large rivers.

We see them in Montco frequently

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I didn't know that! How cool!

Seagulls, as with city pigeons, are little more than rats with wings.

Ring-billed gulls are common winter residents

Huh.

And here I thought Flock of Seagulls was a rock group. https://www.google.com/search?q=Flock+of+Seagulls+youtube&client=firefox-b-1-e&sxsrf=AJOqlzUVDQ0mM6LRazHGb5O_wINfMoBYJQ%3A1678979188714&ei=dDATZPr8Kv2pptQP3PCtsA4&ved=0ahUKEwj6hoPx3OD9AhX9lIkEHVx4C-YQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=Flock+of+Seagulls+youtube&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIFCAAQgAQyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB46CggAEEcQ1gQQsAM6BwgAELADEEM6DQgAEOQCENYEELADGAE6DAguEMgDELADEEMYAjoICAAQgAQQsQM6BQguEIAEOgcILhDUAhBDOgoIABAWEB4QDxAKSgQIQRgAUKEHWIQWYLYXaAFwAXgAgAF2iAGTBpIBAzUuM5gBAKABAcgBE8ABAdoBBggBEAEYCdoBBggCEAEYCA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:ed1b301b,vid:nMW4sRmRwqI

Global warming. Jersey Shore PA is now actually the Jersey Shore.

I was sure this was gonna be a rick roll.

See them all the time on 220 through McElhatten 'rond the dump area. Makes sense.

They got confused by the Jersey Shore signs.

well there is a Jersey Shore, PA

I’ve lived around williamsport my whole life and I feel like this always happens in the colder months, I was always told they come more inland in the winter.

I’ve always seen them migrate and hang out in all the Walmart parking lots for a couple weeks.

I've seen seagulls all over Central PA. They're nothing new.

Nah, I'd do that as an original post but I've been auto-blocked from posting anything new.

They swarm garbage dumps and parking lots in winter

Next to New Jersey

We get them all the time in Blair County. Every time a big storm blows through, gulls appear.

They have always been around in Allenwood at the dump.

I thought I was going crazy when I noticed this the other day.

NJ is not in PA despite the desires of those in Cherry Hill, Cape May, Ocean City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, etc.

Pigeons have subcontracted out the work.

I was wondering the same thing. I saw several here in Lancaster this week.

They are here every year.

Live in south central PA. Seagulls hanging out in store parking lots in winter has been a thing as long as I can remember.

You've been here for 4 years and never seen any? You must not look up much cause there always around sheetz on maynard....o and Wendy's next too Walmart in montoursville

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Oh that reminded me of the grass-mowing goats. I always got a laugh out of seeing them for some reason.

But why are they there? I see them in HBG and LanCo. and York and I just want to understand why.

They're pretty common up here. They were most likely pushed off the coast and up the bay / susquehanna river because of the noreaster that just passed

I live off the river in Harrisburg and not if them year round. Sometimes you'll get hering guls, the really big ones, up here

Someone opened a bag of cheetos

I grew up in central PA, about an hour-ish south of williamsport, and would see gulls all the time. Hell, I’m in WI now and I just saw some migrating the other day. They’re kind of an everywhere bird. Seagull is a misnomer. There’s even an argument amongst the bird people that gulls shouldn’t be called seagulls bc of the fact they don’t solely live by seas and oceans.
I like to call them seagulls at the beach and gulls everywhere else bc its fun that way lol

I think it's because of PA's large number of landfills. We import a lot of trash from NY and Jersey.

There have always been seagulls

Last year I saw some people at a McDonald's throw French fries out of their car window to a lone seagull, and I just wanted to scream "you idiots!" because in about 10 seconds there was probably a hundred of them. It was like a horror movie.

Its not uncommon in the winter.

Landfills, ample food sources, etc. Seagulls don't necessarily need to live at the beach.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring-billed_gull

I grew up outside of wmspt and we had them every year around this time.

I've seen them around wilkes barre all of my life. There's a price chopper in Edwardsville (right outside of wb) where they all congregate in the parking lot lol no clue why

Climate Dooooooom theories might work.
Or unreported Solar Flares effect.

We get em in Somerset PA too, saw a single one the other day. They come through for a short time here and there

That's where the shorelines are gonna settle

They follow the rivers as well as the trash trucks coming from NJ and NY...

"Gulls come to Pennsylvania because it's convenient,” writes Joe Kosack, a Wildlife Conservation Education Specialist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, “and because it has rivers that are loaded with small aquatic critters they eat readily, hundreds of restaurants that serve fast food indirectly to gulls, and ..."

They're not seagulls, just gulls...trash gulls? Lol

They have a different name, I believe they are a different species too

Yeah I know it’s not in Pa. It’s just a shitshow neighbor.

and Dr. Oz

Just like Philadelphians

A lot of farming fields use fish based fertilizer. I see gulls in fields quite a bit.

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But Jersey Shore is!

I can confirm that it's been happening at least since the 40s in the Montoursville/Williamsport area. Like other people have mentioned, almost every year

PA should consume NJ

I’m in west and same here. They love the ShopRite parking lot by my house and have for for the whole 14 years I’ve lived here.

I was wondering the same myself. Just yesterday I saw a ton of them in the TJ Maxx plaza parking lot, just like I've seen in the past few years. Always that same spot! Couldn't imagine what would draw them there. Then an elderly woman got out of her car and started throwing them food 🤦‍♂️

Tangentially related: I’ve heard stories of sea gulls circling MacDonalds’ restaurants under construction, as soon as the Golden Arches are erected. Brand loyalty.

I'm obviously in Washington and see them frequently at Tanger outlets.

Jo Sho fo sho!

The last 4 years they've been on hiatus. It used to be a yearly mass migration when they moved inland to Acme parking lots when the shore points empty out. They follow the people, because people leave a mess that they can eat. Lol.

There was always a flock that lived in the K-Mart parking lot near me. They’re very resourceful.

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I love seeing them this time of the year, it means Spring is coming. Very common, I have seen them do that for many, many years. Happy flight.

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Birds aren’t real. They’re government drones.

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Noticing them in Pittsburgh, too!

Gulls are land birds. They are always found around landfills (which just used to be called garbage dumps). I lived in Pittsburgh, Philly, and the Lehigh Valley and saw them.

Now I live on the beach in CA and we still have as many pigeons as Market Square in Pgh.

Fuck new Jersey

The only reason for New Jersey is to keep Pennsylvania from the dirty dirty ocean

To be fair, Williamsport is less than a half hour drive from Jersey Shore.

YUP! We're about 18 miles from scranton, but we get the seagull infestation once and a while, especially when it's foggy.

Edit: From the landfill

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🤣🤣🤣

Even seagulls know what’s coming with climate change.

Nothing new...they are up here in Scranton a ton too!

Yup. Southeast PA here. The birds come inland and make it to my area in late winter early spring.

They follow the Garbage Trucked from Compactor Sites in New York and New Jersey, then stay here flying into Clean Lakes hence contaminating yet another Pa resource. Corrupt Politicians allow Land Fill after Land Fill to Operate in Pa. Hip Hip Hooray PA! Way to go!

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Its all part of the plan. r/birdsarentreal

Due to global warming the Atlantic Ocean now reaches Harrisburg.

they're the hypertensive seagulls, cant be too close to the salt water with that high blood pressure

I guess I never took notice. Pigeons and regular birds yes, but not seagulls. LOL

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Yes they are a plague in the summer....I like to call them sky rats.