This problem for the birds

This problem for the birds

Published on Saturday, Nov 10, 2007

by Mary Beth Breckenridge

Q:My neighbor and I live in homes with cedar plywood exteriors. Each day our houses are attacked by an unknown variety of woodpecker. This woodpecker has put lines of small holes and a larger hole the size of a 50-cent piece in our siding. Our problem is how to discourage this negative behavior without harming the birds.
— M.A., Fairlawn

A:Here are some suggestions from the Ohio State University Extension and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Cover the area with lightweight plastic bird netting, leaving at least 3 inches of space between the building and the netting. Or cover the area with metal sheathing, plastic sheeting or quarter-inch hardware cloth, painted to match the siding, if desired.

Scare the birds away with things that move or reflect, such as plastic twirlers, aluminum foil, colored plastic strips, reflective Mylar tape, pie pans or bright tin lids. If the bird has established a territory, however, these devices probably won't work.

Fool the birds into thinking a predator is near with an electronic device that emits a recording of a predator's call or a woodpecker's distress call. One example is the BirdXPeller PRO Bird Repeller from Bird-X (http://bird-x.com).

Smear sticky or tacky bird repellents such as Tanglefoot, 4-The-Birds and Roost-No-More in damaged areas. Be aware, however, that some repellents can discolor wood. You might apply the repellant to a piece of pressed board or plastic instead of directly to the siding.

The Cornell folks, however, oppose use of such repellants, because they can get on a bird's plumage and impair its ability to fly and stay warm.

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NO HARM, NO FOWL - Geese gone after falling for cardboard-coyote ruse in Hingham

NO HARM, NO FOWL - Geese gone after falling for cardboard-coyote ruse in Hingham

A cardboard coyote decoy.

By KAREN GOULART
The Patriot Ledger

HINGHAM - Coyotes and Canada geese.

In a fauna popularity contest, they’re not taking home any prizes in these parts.

Heck, they don’t even like each other.

And that’s precisely what Tom Hastings was counting on.

The Hingham developer had just finished building new youth athletic fields on Beal Street, and just as the grass started to sprout, a hungry, honking flock of Canada geese moved in to make a meal of it. And the birds left a multitude of messes behind.

You could say Hastings decided to unleash the hounds.

But the pack came not from the wild but through the mail. For as much as Hastings wanted his fields fowl-free, he wasn’t interested in any foul play.

‘‘We knew we had a problem with the geese and we did a lot of research online,’’ Hastings said. ‘‘We found a company, Bird-X in Chicago, that manufactures paper coyotes.’’

Hastings set up life-size, ‘‘photo-realistic’’ cardboard coyotes at scattered locations on the fields, and once the geese got a gander at the faux predators, they moved along.

‘‘We had to move them (the coyotes) around, to make them look natural,’’ Hastings said. ‘‘Geese are pretty smart.’’

Even though coyotes are no strangers to Hingham residents, the decoys’ appearance on the fields seemed strange to some.

The cardboard coyotes ‘‘did such a good job, we saw, on several occasions, people walking across the grass to look and see if there were really coyotes standing there staring at them,’’ Hastings said.

Two weeks ago, Hastings’ company took down the coyotes and turned the fields over to the town, complete with fresh grass and without goose droppings. Hastings would have turned over the coyotes as well, but wind and weather had worn them down. He said he will be glad to let the town know how to order more.

Come spring, the fields will be ready for football practices and baseball games.

‘‘It’s an amazing transformation, a tremendous change from what they used to be,’’ Hastings said, ‘‘and it’s a beautiful area next to the Back River and Bare Cove Park. Not only do you see the geese and actual coyotes, there are wild turkeys and deer coming through the property as well.’’

Most of the furry and feathered visitors are welcome.

The geese, Hastings said, are ‘‘the only unwelcome guests.’’