Anyone Know A Sparrow With A Bow and Arrow? :)

[Al1944]

We've got a rampant robin in our garden who likes nothing more than to perch on my car, chat to his reflection and crap over the bodywork. He does this to every window and the car mirrors. I've even provided him with a personal feeder tray and his own mirror which he enjoys, but I still have to wash his droppings off the car.

Any advice on how to stop him doing this? Think I might have to drape some sheets over the car windows.

 

[Cobra]

..........All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin.


When I have had to deal with Magpies and the like ripping out window beadings from conservatories and the like, two "hawk eyes" stuck to the inside stops them ( mostly) .
Or 2 blank CD'd mounted so they move and catch the light ( a flash of predator eyes).
"Decoys" work up to point, maybe something like this on the car roof is worth a try?

https://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-31661...lWwN7uAOeoW2dxD_4bCx2llVvByFd0lRoCJYwQAvD_BwE

Or if you have a tree or a fence post etc, close to the car you could hang something like this from
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STV-Defer...or-/263076372291?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

 

[sphexx]

Bunch of red feathers or discs etc might distract him.

 

[Al1944]

..........All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin.


When I have had to deal with Magpies and the like ripping out window beadings from conservatories and the like, two "hawk eyes" stuck to the inside stops them ( mostly) .
Or 2 blank CD'd mounted so they move and catch the light ( a flash of predator eyes).
"Decoys" work up to point, maybe something like this on the car roof is worth a try?

https://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-31661...lWwN7uAOeoW2dxD_4bCx2llVvByFd0lRoCJYwQAvD_BwE

Or if you have a tree or a fence post etc, close to the car you could hang something like this from
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STV-Defer...or-/263076372291?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Great - thanks very much. I'll try the CDs first, but the flying falcon looks a good bet. The car is in a car port so I could hang one from the inside of the roof.

 

[Al1944]

Bunch of red feathers or discs etc might distract him.

Thanks - feathers stuck to discs maybe.

 

[sphexx]

Thanks - feathers stuck to discs maybe.

It was one of the classic ethology experiments showing that you didn't need a detail model to "enrage" a robin but just a red disc. I imagine it would be good to move it around if it works.

 

[Cobra]

Bunch of red feathers or discs etc might distract him.

It may also cause a territorial dispute and make him worse ..
Always worth a shot though ...

edit, just seen your last post

 

[Al1944]

I thought he had disappeared about a week ago. A sparrowhawk paid one of his visits and my wife saw him following what she thought was a robin which had made a dash out of a bush.

All was quiet for a few days so we thought he had been caught, but he's back with a vengeance

 

[F1.2]

While he is doing his no 2 on you car sh-it on him from a great height ,

 

[Al1944]

Well the CD trick seems to have worked

 

[tijuana taxi]

When customers complained about birds crapping on their cars/property from overhead telephone dropwires a plastic owl was sometimes placed atop the telegraph pole.

 

[Cobra]

Well the CD trick seems to have worked

Good stuff

When customers complained about birds crapping on their cars/property from overhead telephone dropwires a plastic owl was sometimes placed atop the telegraph pole.

I've seen these in use a few times, and TBH I find them to be the least effective, of all the decoys, Rooks perching on the larger ones etc

 

[Nod]

You can get animated owls which gulls don't ignore but even they work best when they get shifted around the boat( the application in which I encountered the things) to reduce the "familiarity breeds contempt" factor.

Glad you've got the problem sorted, Al.

 

[tijuana taxi]

Good stuff


I've seen these in use a few times, and TBH I find them to be the least effective, of all the decoys, Rooks perching on the larger ones etc

Had to stop this service after one fell on an unsuspecting member of the public, I never thought they were much cop either.

 

[Keith W]

Air gun pellet up the bahookie will do the job as well

 

[Cobra]

You can get animated owls which gulls don't ignore

I'm surprised as gulls don't see owls as predator...
It needs to be either high ( a few 100 feet) above them, or fast moving a few feet above their heads..
That's certianly the way it works on landfill anyway.
Kites decoys etc just don't work in these situations

Had to stop this service after one fell on an unsuspecting member of the public,

I shouldn't laugh .... but

Air gun pellet up the bahookie will do the job as well

Protected species
Of course we don't encourage people to break the law, now do we?

 

[Cobra]

Had to stop this service after one fell on an unsuspecting member of the public

Actually that reminds me of a little anecdote, I was culling feral pigeons, in a private car park, in Cambridge, some years back. It was clearly marked as "Private" and for the use of the employee's of xxxx only.

I shot one pigeon just as it was about to fly from the tower, it set its wings and glided down about 100 feet, stone dead, it landed just in front of a "rather nice car" Bounced and emptied its crop and innards
up the front grill and bonnet of this "rather nice" black German car.
Just as the owner appeared on the scene, carrying 2 bags of shopping!
She opened her mouth to speak, and I just pointed the the very large "Private" sign, she grunted, put her head down and scurried off to her car

 

[Keith W]

Best tell the french then, they eat them

 

[Cobra]

Best tell the french then, they eat them

The law doesn't apply out side GB
The Italians also slaughter 1000's upon 1000's of starlings and other migrating birds as they pass through, on the pretence of eating them

 

[sphexx]

The law doesn't apply out side GB
The Italians also slaughter 1000's upon 1000's of starlings and other migrating birds as they pass through, on the pretence of eating them

Ah .. tordi allo spiedo, yum yum!
http://ricettetoscane.altervista.org/tordi-allo-spiedo.html

Edit, spillchucker put torso on the spit instead of thrush ... but there’s an idea.

 

[Cobra]

Edit, spillchucker put torso on the spit instead of thrush

Just goes to prove they'll eat anything

 

[Nod]

I'm surprised as gulls don't see owls as predator...

All I can say is that the animated one worked, as did the static one that Dad kept on his boat. Dad's got moved a couple of times a week and hugely reduced the amount of shytalk shy** that the boat was otherwise loaded with.