Birds

[Willwors]

We went out to our mooring this afternoon to find the boat completely covered in bird mess. This has been happening for a while now and our boat seems to be the worst hit in the whole harbour, and I have no idea why. We have tried the usual blank CD trick but this doesnt seem to be working. Anyone got any tips for keeping the gulls of my boat?

 

[shetland536]

dont use blank discs, record the lighthouse family or the latest cold play album on to them,they are so dreary they will get rid of anybody and any thing.

 

[shetland536]

i`m thinking about leaving bread covered in baking soda for them to eat, just to find out if they really do explode when they eat it,then hopefully they will get the message.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I tried all sorts including cds but the best that has always worked for me is two pieces of fishing line from my mast to the bows. The bugers cant see it and it hums in any wind. I've used it for about 3 years and no seagull muck at all!!

 

[hlb]

Do like all the other boats are doing and sprinkle bird seeds on all the others!!

 

[petem]

Big plastic Owl, that's what you need.

 

[Magnum]

[ QUOTE ]
Big plastic Owl, that's what you need.

[/ QUOTE ]
Go down to Torquay Marina - lots of plastic owls covered in crap.

 

[tcm]

a thin piece of line/string from the highest point of the boat to the bows upsets them and they can't get too near. Often the birds sit on the rails - wire ties on the rails with the long bit left pointing straight up deters them from perching on those rails.

 

[ljay]

When I was in the merchant navy! Blimey I sound like Uncle Albert!! We used to soak bread crumbs in Tabsco Sauce ,when the gulls used to squawk and dive bomb to gulp up seawater did we laaaaaugh!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Now that one I like! Never have got around to trying the bi-carb of soda explosion theory one, but suspect it won't work, it'll just settle their stomachs after the tabasco!

 

[theguvnor]

I think the owls do work - my neighbour had one and the gulls were so scared they crapped all over my boat in their panic to escape

 

[jhr]

Thread drift - sort of

The other day SWMBO was musing about whether or not gulls can get bird flu and, if so, whether we will want to be handling a tonneau cover liberally festooned with their droppings............

Any thoughts?

Haven't discovered the cure for crapping gulls yet, but when I do I will be a rich man. We used to have an abandoned boat moored just down river of us, which acted as a crap magnet. This season the boat has gone and we're getting a share of the resultant over-capacity. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Lakesailor]

Re: Thread drift - sort of

Gulls are getting shittier. I went out for pleasant 3 hour sail today and spent much of it washing gull dung from any horizontal surface. The fake snakes worked for a while, but no more. Owls definitely do not work. (I have a mate who makes animated birds of prey for airport runways and they apparently work.)
There is a theory that grey decks and cabin tops are not favourites with gulls, and there is a Seawytch next to us in those colourways that does seem pretty crap-free.

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
Big plastic Owl, that's what you need.

[/ QUOTE ] I just went across the road to test the veracity of this statement.

Do you come here often?

I think he's pulled! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Robin]

It works then....

......you just have to fit said plastic owl on someone elses boat on the next pontoon then they will hold the union meeting there and not on your boat!

In our neck of the woods it isn't gulls that are the problem it is little purple pooping busteds (starlings?) by the hundreds. They have hourly competitions to see how many they can stack in a line on the windex or any similar vantage point, with bonus points for turning as large a part of our decks from white to purple as they can. We have been away over 5 weeks and the boat stayed clean but in the few days we have been back it looks like it hasn't been cleaned for months! Trouble is none of the usual cleaners work so it is a job for Y10/oxalic acid or whatever and even then the little busteds just treat it as a challenge and come back straight away after you leave. My mind is straying towards shotguns or tying next doors bloody cats up the mast and killing 2 birds (well several birds and 2 garden fouling cats) with one stone. Isn't it time the little busteds took off south?

 

[Lakesailor]

Quick Hunt

I've just been looking around for info on bird-scaring.
Here are some

Defra (pdf)

Humming Line

Flashing Tape

Bird Swipe

FAQs

I fancy the Humming Line

 

[Robin]

Re: Quick Hunt

Something like that might work, like when the mainsheet/topping lift are set humming under tension. With my luck though the little busteds would see it as a sex aid and all come a fluttering to sit on it!

 

[nicho]

Re: Quick Hunt

Wire up the standing rigging to the mains - fry the little so and so's!!

 

[Robin]

Re: Quick Hunt

One of those electric fence jobbies, yes it might deter the thieving busteds as well as the pooping ones!