Shaz77
Well-Known Member
Just come out to my boat, on a swinging mooring, for a few days away and spent the first two hours clearing bird poo. There must be an answer?
Bird Poo
- Thread starter Shaz77
- Start date
mrming
Well-Known Member
You see lots of different approaches. A fake bird of prey or snake to scare the birds away. Strings of bunting to stop them landing. A load of old CDs on a bungie which is meant to annoy them in some unspecified way. Some motorboats have a very wide rotating wind vane type thing.
If it’s a yacht, try to rig some light lines in various places to stop them being able to land and sit on the boat. There’s not much you can do about poo from a bird passing overhead, but if you can stop them sitting on the boat you’ll get far less.
If it’s a yacht, try to rig some light lines in various places to stop them being able to land and sit on the boat. There’s not much you can do about poo from a bird passing overhead, but if you can stop them sitting on the boat you’ll get far less.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Biggles Wader
Well-Known Member
You need a lithium battery. Birds are not stupid and will realise the risks.
Stemar
Well-Known Member
A common place for birds to perch is the spreaders. A thin line stretched about 10cm above them will keep them from landing. Fake owls, snakes, etc and CDs seem to be based on hope rather than experience, I had a bird decide that the hatch garage, under the spray hood was a good place to settle, some garden netting across the opening persuaded it that it wasn't welcome. After putting it up for a few weeks, I forgot, but birdie had found somewhere else to live.
For a real problem area, I'd be tempted to try stretching netting between the backstay, shrouds and forestay, the finer, the better, because if it's hard to see, they'll discover it the hard way, and find somewhere more welcoming, rather than just zooming in underneath. Use a big enough mesh that feet or heads won't get caught in it - you don't want to be cleaning up dead birds!
For a real problem area, I'd be tempted to try stretching netting between the backstay, shrouds and forestay, the finer, the better, because if it's hard to see, they'll discover it the hard way, and find somewhere more welcoming, rather than just zooming in underneath. Use a big enough mesh that feet or heads won't get caught in it - you don't want to be cleaning up dead birds!
ashtead
Well-Known Member
Get yourself a real bird of prey or hire someone who has one. This is what certain marinas do eg in Lymington etc although Chichester marina is cursed with bird droppings I have noticed which seems to be a problem of recent years. I don’t know if bird scares work -might be tricky to rig if not attached to shore. You don’t location but is it common to whole river or just your boat?
shanemax
N/A
I like that one, shows someone who has a sense of humour and doesn't take life too seriously
tillergirl
Well-Known Member
Some of my 'anti-seagull' devices have failed (netting). I have just ordered an ultrasonic device which is supposed to be powered by solar to batteries and a PIR which triggers movement and issues ultrasonic noise which we can't hear but they can and don't like it. The device hasn't arrived yet but I shall report back idc.
shanemax
N/A
Solar powered bird scarer. Sounds interesting.
wallacebob
Well-Known Member
Birds liked to sit and eat crabs on my boat; moved where there ain’t no crabs. All the snakes, lines, etc didn’t work.
ashtead
Well-Known Member
Farmers around us have good bird scorers but might disturb the tranquility of mooring -had you thought of a external generator to keep the birds away or one of these
johnalison
Well-Known Member
Before leaving the boat, cover the deck and coachroof with non-silicone grease, then it will wash off easily.
tillergirl
Well-Known Member
"Looks" interesting. You can't hear it!
ashtead
Well-Known Member
I think we are slipping into the world of slapstick humour now
Boathook
Well-Known Member
Never had a problem with seagulls - the ones that fly !
The crows prefer the top of my mast rather than the spreaders and the starlings just grap any bit of wire or rope. Tried spikes, etc but they find a way to perch.
Have also seen gulls and other birds perched on top of bird scarers.
The crows prefer the top of my mast rather than the spreaders and the starlings just grap any bit of wire or rope. Tried spikes, etc but they find a way to perch.
Have also seen gulls and other birds perched on top of bird scarers.
newtothis
Well-Known Member
A friend lived at a building development in east London that was invaded by shitehawks from the nearby Olympic park area. The put those hawk (or some sort of bird of prey) kites on a long flexible stick on top of a couple of the buildings, which seemed to work.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
Some locations are much worse than others for this.
You'd think that where there are a lot of moorings that would spread out the problem among all the boats/owners, but one suspects that the proliferation of places to sit is part of the appeal to the birds.
You'd think that where there are a lot of moorings that would spread out the problem among all the boats/owners, but one suspects that the proliferation of places to sit is part of the appeal to the birds.
ashtead
Well-Known Member
I think birds are quite selective in their choice of location -they shun Gosport but favour rural Chichester and Lymington -it might have something to do with surrounding marshes etc. as they don’t have to drive to their favourite perches I guess Chi and Lymington have a lot more to offer in terms of locality and cuisine .
