Birds

[tomframe]

I see those delightful little birds are back again and turning my deck purple - has anybody come up with better ideas to get rid of them since last year.

 

[Searush]

pick the blackberries before they do?

 

[Salty John]

I run an old fly fishing line down each side deck a couple of inches above the deck and another one from mast to backstay a short dictance above the boom. So far this year this has been completely effective. Having said that I suppose I'll go up to the boat tomorrow and find purple spotted decks!

 

[MoodySabre]

Saw a couple of boats on the Deben completely covered with a netting frame like you use for soft fruit bushes. What a performance.

Old Tesco bags and Cds tied on a bit of string look much nicer. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sorry - no idea as I don't suffer from this problem - you have my sympathy as it would drive me crazy to have a dirty boat.

The Brent geese returned to the Thames Estuary this week but don't seem to perch on boats or fly over land. Good job too as there are thousands of them. A sad reminder that winter cometh. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Bav34]

Put bread on your neighbours boat /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ex-Gladys]

Machine gun???

 

[kiwikol]

Not sure if this will work up where you are but does here. Cut a hawk shape out of something lightweight (stiffish black plastic?) and suspend via light line so it hovers above the deck (line between mast and backstay with short droppers therefrom?). Arrange so it won’t tangle of course. Looks better than “Old Tesco bags and Cds” eh!

 

[Lakesailor]

If birds crap on my deck, I don't date them again. That'll teach 'em.

 

[dulcibella]

Port Solent is visited intermittently by a falconer who flies a damn' great Harris' Hawk at the starlings. This scares them s***less, so they leave the masts of the moored boats in favour of the ones in the boat park. Between visits the marina plays hawk calls, alarm calls etc to reinforce the message.

 

[seaesta]

Go to the garden centre, get some cheap plastic "runner bean netting". Clip it over the boat when you leave and remove it when you return. It will stow easily and is made of monofilament like thick fishing line. It was worked well for me all summer. The netting does not easily tangle and does not trap birds - but it does put them off. It stows in a very small space (I just ram it onto a quarter locker). Three peices each about 8 foot long works for me. It takes about 3 minutes to secure or remove and is much more pleasant thanks scrubbing off guano.
Martin