Bird scarers

[tonyhibbett]

I have 2 large black grape vines growing on pergolas, over which it is a nightmare to intall netting, which then has to removed after harvest, otherwise new growth in the spring grows through the mesh and grape bunches form above. The main culprits are wood pigeons, although there is now a new threat, ring necked parakeets. Having read reviews of various bird scarers, the cheaper and simpler ones seem to effective for a short term. I have installed a lifelike falcon to overlook one of the vines. Oddly enough, small bird, like robins, aren't bothered by it, but wood pigeons are keeping away. I think they are inherantly nervous as they aren't very quick off the mark and also have been hunted for centuries for food, whereas feral pigeons have a close association with man and are relatively tame. I have ordered a Defenders Wind Powered Bird Scarer, which is a stick with a rotating large pair of eyes. Opinions are sharply divided about its effectiveness, but it seems to work with wood pigeons, presumably for the same reason.
I would love to get hold of a klapotetz, a sort of wind powered glockenspiel, looks like a small windmill and used in Austrian vineyards to scare away birds, but hopefully, the other simple devices will work for long enough for me to get the harvest in before it gets eaten.

 

[Frogfurlong]

A simple "until the big guns arrive" solution is a teddy bear from a carboot/charity shop. A small, cat sized one. Hide it in the vine with just the head showing through.
It looks like a predator is waiting to pounce. I used to use a bright blue teddy to keep blackbirds off my redcurrants.

Hope it helps

Froggy

 

[GeorgeSalt]

I do some work for a local plant nursery. This year they've installed the hawk-kite scarers and they're very effective. There are dozens of these in the fields everywhere I look this year. The cheapest I've seen them is about £80, but one is supposed to be enough for about 8 typical allotment plots.

 

[tonyhibbett]

Many thanks. Most encouraging!

 

[GREBO75]

Is the rotating scarer you're getting one of the ones that are mostly shiny silver with some eyes (and maybe a beak) painted on it? Seen some of those at a few lakes where I fish and they seem fairly effective, i think the flash from the reflective silver surface as they rotate combines nicely with the eyes to scare the birdies away.

 

[screamlead]

I have no problem with mine at all - i have 5 cats!! One came in with a dove the othernite to feed her offspring - we took it off them obviously. So she went out and grabbed its mate too!! :

 

[tonyhibbett]

So many replies to deal with! Cats killed 2 wood pigeons, who were replaced with 2 more wood pigeons, of which 1 remains and is understandably nervous. But they won't ever get the ring necked parakeets because they never touch the ground and are fast and agile.
The falcon idea is great. I once saw an osprey settle on a post and sit there for ages. Thousands of birds took flight, unaware that ospreys only eat fish, and did not return all day, which put paid to a good day's bird watching, but the osprey was worth it!
Mine is not a falcon kite, just a static resin cast hand painted hobby, like a small peregrine. Sparrowhawks have been known to pass through, striking terror, except to the resident crows, who mobbed them off, so there is a memory of previous terrorist attacks!
It's nice that the local robin still joins me for lunch, picking bits of parmesan cheese from my plate while the wood pigeon quivers in fear in a distant tree.
I love the teddy bear technique. There are so many possible permutations, such as rising, flashing pir activated rotating dalek heads shouting 'exterrrrminate!'
As for the refective rotating eyes which seem to be so effective, the product has yet to arrive, so can't comment.
Early days yet. as the grapes have yet to turn black, but with more days like this, in the southeast at least. As a last result, I have the .22 air rifle but let's hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[tonyhibbett]

The reflective rotating eyes arrived today and I fixed it on top of the other pergola. It is highly visible, moves and flashes in the slightest puff of air. I also enhanced the falcon by pushing yellow BB pellets into the eye sockets and gluing some wood pigeon feathers to its talons, making it look quite sinister. The gardens are now eerily silent and the only birds to be seen are flying high overhead. The robin has stopped chirping and even the noisy magpies have shut up.

 

[tonyhibbett]

The fact that my dummy falcon resembles a peregrine is significant. I once saw one drop like a stone and take a duck. The mere sight of it struck terror on the flock of swimming ducks. It is the fastest bird on earth when it dives because it closes its wings and becomes a guided missile. If you pass the flying silhouette of one over ducklings, which have never seen one before, they cower in fear. The same silhouette passed backwards more resembles a flying duck which they ignore. Peregrines were persecuted during the world wars because they killed many carrier pigeons which had survived the French, Italians and Maltese.
All of the feral pigeons are descendants of domesticated pigeons from the days of pigeon racing and have no fear of humans or even cars and not easily scared. But increasingly, trained falcons are used to drive these pigeons away from areas where they are a problem. Although there are hundreds of them roosting and breeding under the local railway bridge, they never come into my garden because they prefer to eat the discarded food which abounds in the streets, totally urban.

 

[tonyhibbett]

I got a bigger, scarier dummy falcon, which resembles no known British bird of prey and could even be percieved as a parrot. Robins and squirrels couldn't give a toss but there is a monster on the loose. My next door neighbour has quaranteened her 2 cats because they have been savaged, one with a deep wound to the neck and the other with a pierced paw. There is evidence of a recent wood pigeon kill and something consumed an entire packet of cream crackers from my garden table while I went to have a ****. Something wicked this way walks.

 

[Pearlfisher]

I got a bigger, scarier dummy falcon, which resembles no known British bird of prey and could even be percieved as a parrot. Robins and squirrels couldn't give a toss but there is a monster on the loose. My next door neighbour has quaranteened her 2 cats because they have been savaged, one with a deep wound to the neck and the other with a pierced paw. There is evidence of a recent wood pigeon kill and something consumed an entire packet of cream crackers from my garden table while I went to have a ****. Something wicked this way walks.

Sounds like a Charlie problem.