Bird Scarers - nesting birds

sharontodd · #1 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 07:57 AM

Advice needed please. I have an old farm building in a very poor state of repair approx 1 mtre from my garden fence. For the last 2 summers small birds - not sure which kind - have been nesting in the roof. This in itself is no problem however the mess in my garden is. Judging by the amount of droppings in my garden on a daily basis there must be dozens of birds nesting. I can't hang out washing to dry all summer as it just gets messed on and i have to hose my whole garden down every morning before my 3 year old can go out to play. Within a few hours the droppings are everywhere again and usualy on him and his toys. I'm really at the end of my tether. I know birds are lovely little creatures and i've nothing agaist them but i really need to be able to use my garden in the summer, can anyone give me any advice on this please??

witham · #2 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 08:45 AM

They could be Swallows. very persistent little birds, I don't want to sound negative, but how long has your house been there nest to the old barn, if it is a new build next to a perhaps centuries old established nesting site it could be a problem, we have quite a few barn conversions in the county and when people move in they find 'country life' perhaps not so clean and quiet as they imagined when they get unwanted visitors etc, you could try putting up a plastic bird of prey in a prominent position in your garden, our local fire station put a large Owl on top of their training tower after it was always covered in pigeon poo etc as birds seemed to use it as a meeting place, it seems to be a deterrent, you can also get a Kestrel hovering. Our near neighboroughs who live in the old mill house, use what's left of the mill as a garage, they can't put their cars away at this time of the year, or use the nearby washing line as the Swallows nesting in it make so much mess but they just let them get on with it but there again they haven't got a small child.

sharontodd · #3 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 08:52 AM

My house is a new build and about 5 years old. I see where your coming from - the birds where here before me. I have looked at the plastic birds although i found a rather amusing picture of one on the internet. It had been put on someones roof and proundly sitting on top of its head was a little bird! So not sure how effective they would be. There are larger ones which look like they are hovering and i think they move a bit in the wind so these might be more effective? As this barn is behind my house where would be the best place to site one of these plastic birds?

My car parked in the drive gets splatted all the time too but i'm not too bothered about that its more my 3 years old and his toys (the washings a bit of a bugbear too). I know you can catch all kinds of nasty things from bird poo so its not an ideal place for a wee one to play!

witham · #4 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 09:05 AM

What about things like windchimes or similar or perhaps you don't want anything too noisy with your toddler, also you can get things similar to the old airfield wind socks but brightly coloured that flap about, they might put them off and your 3 year old might enjoy looking at them, if they are Swallows they are busy collecting mud etc to build their nests and it sounds as if you're on their flight path so they might take a bit of persuading to take another route, also they hunt on the wing so if there's any midgies or other flying thingies in the area they will swoop about catching them.

sharontodd · #5 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 09:35 AM

i'm definately on their flight path and i think they are swallows. I think i might invest in one of these hovering kestral things - should i mount it on my roof? God the nieighbours will think i have lost the plot!

Lincs Yellowbelly · #6 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 09:54 AM

They only nest for couple of month of the year, IMO its not a huge problem for such a short space of time

By letting them nest you are helping them no end, and whatever you do to stop them please do it after they've finished nesting this year, it is a criminal offence to interfere with nesting birds!

sharontodd · #7 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 01:06 PM

we don't get much of a summer up here in scotland so not being able to use the garden for 2 months (they were here for much longer than that last year) is a BIG problem, my son not being able to go in the garden without touching bird droppings is a BIG problem. I certainly won't harm the birds but i just want them to find a toilet elsewhere! If a cat or dog was messing in your garden to the extent the birds are messing in mine you would have a problem with it so please trust me - i'm not just moaning about the odd bird dropping that everyone gets in their garden - i hosed down the garden 2 hours ago and have just went out to find 10 droppings.

Jason Green · #8 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 02:55 PM

I agree with I Y - It IS an offence to disturb nesting birds. Changing the nesting site could cause the parents to abandon the young. They only take around five weeks to nest. I suspect they have been their a while already!

However, I agree the droppings are a problem. Could you mark out the area of the garden affected by the droppings and prevent your son having access to it?

Being a barn conversion I suspect your garden would be pretty big.

How much land is affected?

Once the nesting is over I think a 'hovering kestral' would help. Maybe create an artificial nesting site elsewhere?

Kayleigh · #9 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 02:56 PM

Can you post a pic of your garden. Are there fields where the birds fly to catch insects.
Have you any trees in the garden you could tie CDs to.
We had swallows where I used to keep my horse, they even nested in her stable and there was no mess.

If you contact the RSPB through e-mail I'm sure they will be more than helpful..

The RSPB: Contact us: Form

Jason Green · #10 (**permalink**) 14-05-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

...where I used to keep my horse, they even nested in her stable and there was no mess

Interesting... I wonder why they are here then?

witham · #11 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 09:02 AM

While I do sympathise with your concerns for your toddler, I sometimes think we can be too clean and worry unecessarily, I have two young grandchildren who visit regularly, I have loads of bird feeders/tables around the garden so have lots of different birds visiting every day who all seem to leave me a little thankyou present

, I often have to wash their swing and slide down before they can use it, (the grandkids not the birds)10 droppings in a couple of hours doesn't seem like much really, I'd had visions of you almost having to get the shovel out, I would think most people who feed birds in their garden could equal that, I also have four chickens who roam about who the grandchildren love and like to go and collect the eggs which sometimes arn't that clean

, they also like to help or rather hinder with the sheep and clean my ponies stable out and often get 'covered' in all sorts of smelly substances yet never seem to catch anything, but that's the enviroment I grew up in so am well used to it, so don't worry too much just be thankfull you've not got pigeons

Ukwildlifeo · #12 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Interesting... I wonder why they are here then?

Possibly the parents carry the poo out and drop it away from the nest?

Gill Catton · #13 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Possibly the parents carry the poo out and drop it away from the nest?

yes this is my tought, starlings in particular for a first period carry the fecal sac out and away from the nest site I'm not sure swallows do this - perhaps initially but then rapidly the bulk of the ness it directly below the nest or in the immediate area.

I think even with Starlings this happens only for a short time until the babies are able to poo outside of the nest area.

I personally do understand - not being able to put the washing out for the summer would be a pesky thing for me too!

Having said that I'm not really sure there's much you can do, Starlings a very smart and quickly suss out a fake predator. I can only hope with you that this messy period will be over soon....

Blackbrook Eye · #14 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 04:48 PM

It's all a part of living and bringing up your children in the healthy countryside, when I was a kid, washing was always covered by sooty deposits from the kilns at the local brickyard, just as bad as bird droppings and all year round. If it proves to be too much of a problem, I suppose you could always move to somewhere that doesn't have nesting birds, after all they were there when you bought your house, you can hardly expect them to move out to make room for you, now can you.

sharontodd · #15 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:19 PM

Last years the birds where there all summer - are you telling that they will move away soon? They have been there for about 5 weeks so far.

Kayleigh · #16 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharontodd

Last years the birds where there all summer - are you telling that they will move away soon? They have been there for about 5 weeks so far.

Hi sharon,
I just cannot understand the mess. In the stable block( about 8 stables in a row) two nest in the corners of each of the stables, the yard was always full of swallows. There was no mess. Are you sure they are swallows.

I do sympathy's with you as you toddler does need a safe clean place to play.

sharontodd · #17 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:28 PM

i don't know what they are they are just small birds to me - i'm not great on bird species i'm afraid.

Kayleigh · #18 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharontodd

i don't know what they are they are just small birds to me - i'm not great on bird species i'm afraid.

Do they fly low catching insects?
Have they got forked tails?
Do they look like this..

The RSPB: Swallow

sharontodd · #19 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:38 PM

just been watching out the window - some of them are definately swallows but there are others ones that are not - would they nest in the same area as different species?

Kayleigh · #20 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharontodd

just been watching out the window - some of them are definately swallows but there are others ones that are not - would they nest in the same area as different species?

I don't know are they starlings. Can you look on the rspb sight to find out what other birds you are seeing.

Gill Catton · #21 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharontodd

just been watching out the window - some of them are definately swallows but there are others ones that are not - would they nest in the same area as different species?

Starlings certainly would nest in the eaves of a building - or any other suitable crevices within the building. House sparrows too. Sparrows are sort of brownish fluttery and chattery, starlings are blackish and fly quite fast and a little smaller than a blackbird.

sharontodd · #22 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:53 PM

i think they are starling and swallows or swifts not sure which - they have white bellies. How long will they be here for? Have they moved in for the summer again?

sharontodd · #23 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:54 PM

yip there are sparrow too then

Kayleigh · #24 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 05:58 PM

I feed and attract birds all year. I have about 40 house sparrows living in a berberis all year round in my garden. I don't get the mess you are describing

Gill Catton · #25 (**permalink**) 15-05-2008, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I feed and attract birds all year. I have about 40 house sparrows living in a berberis all year round in my garden. I don't get the mess you are describing

They won't be nesting in the berberris though and as many species know babies = more mess. Though I have to say that this mess described sounds a lot like what I see around where I live where you can tell where the nest sites are by the white splotches on the ground radiating out from the exit point used by the adult - I think this is mostly starling though and something that is nesting in leylandii.......