by Ryan Ponto | Nov 2, 2016 | Bird Netting, UltraSonic Bird Control
A couple of weeks ago I answered a letter from Greg Thornbury, who thought he was seeing a peregrine falcon flying around high-rise building where he works in Concord.
I checked with Glenn Stewart at the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, who said he wasn’t aware of any peregrines in that area, but that it was very possible.
Stewart says peregrines can thrive in developed areas because of the plentiful supply of pigeons. The tall buildings also mimic the cliffs that peregrines prefer for nesting sites. There are pergrines on Mount Diablo that often are seen in Lime Ridge Open Space that stretches from the base of the mountain in Walnut Creek into Concord.
Thornbury was able to get a photo of the bird and Stewart identified it as an adult peregrine falcon.
“It is a wonderful thing that a person can take a picture like this from a downtown office building,” Stewart says. “Gives a whole new meaning to urban wildlife.”
The Concord peregrine may nest on Mount Diablo, but come into the city to feed during the winter.
DEAR JOAN: I thoroughly enjoyed reading the letters about the foods some animals crave. As the wife of a veterinarian and a veterinary hospital owner for over 30 years, I have answered many emergency calls concerning ingested items.
With the holiday season coming, I would like to add some non-food items that we personally come across this time of year.
Never leave rubberbands, plastic foam peanuts, ribbon (especially the curling type), pieces of plastic or tinsel lying around. Once we treated a dog, a Lab, that had eaten a string of Christmas tree lights. All of these and much more can cause serious harm to pets, and frequently the lodged item will require emergency surgery, not a very merry event this time of year.
In addition, on the days after Thanksgiving and Christmas, we see turkey, ham and garbage overdoses. Please hide your leftovers!
May I add a few words in defense of veterinarians and their “exorbitant” bills? Nothing frustrates a veterinarian more than the Sunday afternoon emergency call when the owner says the animal has been sick since Friday and it may have eaten something bad. All a vet can offer at this point, without support staff, is a recommendation to the best emergency clinic in the area. It takes several employees to help x-ray and assist an emergency surgery. Veterinary emergency clinic services are life-saving, but expensive.
A veterinarian completes the same amount of schooling as an M.D., but unlike R.D.s (real doctors, as we jokingly call them), a veterinarian also must have the skills of a surgeon, a radiologist, a pharmacist and a pediatrician, just to name a few.
They must be able to diagnose and treat many different species, and that explains why a veterinary hospital, unlike a doctors’ office, is a full-service hospital, complete with a surgical suite, in-house lab, x-ray, pharmacy, and specialty pet food store. No one wants to drive their unhappy pets around to specialists, and my personal co-pay on my health insurance is just about the same as our office call.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Nov 1, 2016 | Animal Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, UltraSonic Bird Control
People living near a railway bridge in Frome say they have been plagued by pigeon faeces since an £8,000 pest control project forced the flock to move.
Felicity Young, who lives near the Rodden Road railway bridge, said around a dozen birds have taken up residence on the roof of her house and are bombarding her property from above.
She said the smell of faeces is overwhelming and is worried the birds may be damaging her home.
Pigeon-proofing spikes were installed on the bridge at a cost of £8,000 in November.
Frome Town Council and Network Rail teamed up to solve the problem of bird droppings under the bridge and chipped in half the money each.
Ms Young’s fire extinguisher has been peppered in bird feceas
Since spikes were installed there has been a reduction in the number of pigeons on the bridge, but a few remain.
A large number appear to have moved to a nearby telegraph pole and are continuing to defecate on the footpath below.
Ms Young thinks some of them have also moved to her house.
She said: “Since the works were carried out on Rodden Road railway bridge, a dozen or so pigeons have taken up residence on the roof of my house, so I have had a very unpleasant experience.
“You can see the sort of mess they are causing, not to mention the smell. As I cannot access my roof I have no idea what other damage they might be causing up there.
“The pigeons only appeared once the spikes were fitted at the bridge, and I had never had pigeons roosting on my roof before that. I’m not sure if other houses are affected in the same way as although they settle for a while on neighbouring roofs along New Road at dusk, they then roost overnight on mine. Last night I estimate there were at least a dozen.
“I have been in touch with the town council which has suggested it may have to consider a cull. It can’t come soon enough for me.”
A large number of pigeons have taken up residence on Ms Young’s house
Another resident recently voiced concerns at a town council meeting over the continued presence of pigeons in the area.
She said: “I’ve been campaigning to have spikes put under that bridge for six years and now that we’ve got them it has had an effect on the pigeons underneath – there are a limited number still there.
“The problem still remains on a telegraph pole just next to the bridge however. The pigeons are continuing to poo on the footpath below and when it gets wet the path can become incredibly slippery.
“There must be around 40 pigeons on that pole at any given time.”
Some have even moved to a nearby telegraph wire
She said: “The footpath (near the bridge) has not been cleaned and it’s still very sludgy. You would have thought that when the spikes were installed the path would have been cleaned.”
Frome town councillor Colin Cobb said: “We have been dealing with this issue for a while now. There are a few bits that have been missed under the bridge but there are certainly far fewer pigeons than there were before.
“With regards to the cleaning of the footpath, The Landscape Group should have seen to that and it is something we will have to chase up with them.
“It’s difficult for us to police the telegraph pole. There were some 50 pigeons living under the bridge so it’s natural that they would now look for somewhere else to sit.”
Frome Town Council has been approached for further comment.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 11, 2015 | Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
A MYSTERY pink pigeon has been spied in Breightmet.
The bird, which has pink and white plumage, but still has a normal grey head, was spied on a rooftop in Breightmet earlier this morning.
There is a breed of bird called a pink pigeon — called nesoenas mayeri which are native to Mauritius — but these are very rare and normally such a paler shade of pink they are almost white.
David Taylor managed to photograph the unusual bird in Tetbury Drive at about 8am on June 20 and said: “I was having breakfast this morning and saw this red and white pigeon on top of a neighbour’s roof.
“When I went out it was gone but then 15 minutes later I spotted it on a neighbour’s roof.
“I don’t know why it’s that colour, I thought someone had painted it.
Jackie Fish, who also from Tetbury Drive, thought someone had spray painted the bird in the colours of the St George flag.
She spotted it at 7.15pm on June 19, 45 minutes before England kicked off their crucial World Cup match with Uruguay.
She said: “I just saw it there and realised it had been painted white and red, to look like the England flag.
“I have to say as supporting England goes, this is a bit too much and I would class it as cruelty and a bit beyond a joke.”
Gemma Pidluski also reported seeing the bird on June 19 and said on Facebook: “I have just been sitting at home and a pink pigeon has landed on my shed roof. Is it real?
“I have googled it and sure enough there are pink pigeons! Bit of nice news for a change!”
A similar bird was spotted in Ealing, West London in August, 2012 and experts were at a loss to identify it.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products six years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Jun 2, 2015 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Despite measures in place at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to keep birds away, bird strikes have gone up over the years, shows data. In 2014, around 67 suspected bird strikes at the Mumbai airport were reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), up from 49 suspected bird strikes in 2013.
The growing number forced the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) to purchase an avian-deterrent variety of grass recently to plant near the runway on a trial basis.
Pariah kites, pigeons, common myna, egrets and crows are some of the birds involved in bird strikes at the airport, according to MIAL.
When an aircraft makes the final approach towards the airport, these birds are likely to hit the aircraft.
Avian-deterent Ryegrass, purchased by MIAL, has natural fungus in the form of endophyte, which produces chemicals that deter insect growth. According to the Association of Private Airport Operators, while bird strikes lead to losses of over Rs 20 crore annually to the Indian aviation industry, they are also a serious threat to passenger safety.
“A 30-lbs goose striking the windscreen of a plane flying at 200 knots (in circuit speed) creates a relative impact of 20 tonne, which could cause serious damage to aircraft and pose a risk to the lives of passengers. The civic authorities never pay attention to environmental issues when it comes to airline operations,” said Captain Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety expert.
There are approximately 250 slaughterhouses near the airport, which attract birds in the area, besides the garbage ‘hill’ at the Deonar dumping ground that lies in the approach funnel of the Mumbai airport.
“Besides the Deonar garbage hill attracting birds, flowing near the airport is the filthy Mithi river. Further, within the airport, there are open drains, making it a haven for birds,” said Dr Satish Pande, director of Ela Foundation, an NGO. MIAL has asked the NGO to conduct a survey to understand the behaviour of birds in the 10-km radius of the airport (risk zone), and suggest solutions to avoid bird strikes.
“There is also a small bat colony in front of terminal 1-B and these bats leave their roost at night. We have proposed trimming of trees to dissuade such colonies after taking all necessary permission,” said Pande, whose report will be submitted to MIAL this month.
Besides bursting crackers, MIAL uses launchers and cartridges that cause an exploding and whistling sound, and vehicle mounted scarecrow during the day. At night, laser bird repellent torches are used to scare birds during poor visibility.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 31, 2015 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Three oil sands companies say scores of birds were killed after landing at their waste facilities in east-central Alberta, Canada, even though their avian deterrents were operational at the time.
All three companies – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL), Syncrude and Suncor – said the birds began landing the morning of Nov. 4 and that their wildlife deterrents were working properly at the time. However, a dense fog was reported at the time, which may have disoriented the birds, contributing to their deaths.
All told, 122 waterfowl died on the companies’ tailing ponds, where waste from oil extraction is dumped, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) reported on Nov. 5. CNRL reported finding 60 dead birds at its Horizon site, and Syncrude said it had to euthanize 30 birds that landed on a similar facility at its Mildred Lake site.
Suncor said that about 120 birds closed in on one of its waste ponds at about the same time, but its deterrents frightened most of them away. Six, though, managed to land.
Investigators sent in by the AER are trying to determine whether the companies’ deterrents were, in fact, working that day. The deterrents include ordinary scarecrows as well as more high-tech devices as radar units and acoustic devices such as propane cannons, which shoot nothing more dangerous than noise, to scare wildlife from toxic areas.
The oil companies expressed concern about the birds’ deaths. CNRL spokeswoman Julie Woo said in an e-mail to Canadian Broadcasting Corp. News, “We are saddened that approximately 60 waterfowl were not deterred and we are currently in the process of confirming the final affected number.”
Will Gibson of Syncrude offered a similar sentiment. He said his company noted increased bird activity in the region that morning. “As a result of these observations,” he told Global News, “our bird deterrent system went into heightened alert.”
“We don’t want our operations to harm wildlife,” Gibson said, “so we’re going to be reviewing our systems to see if there’s additional areas to improve on what we’ve already implemented.”
Syncrude, a major oil sands operator in the region, was hit with a $3 million fine for the deaths of more than 1,600 ducks that had landed on its tailings pond in 2008.
Mike Hudema of Greenpeace Canada says wildlife deterrent systems aren’t enough, and that the oil sands operations need to get rid of tailings ponds, period. “The systems that they put in place to try to keep birds off are not working,” he said. “The only way to keep birds and animals safe in, really, what is a toxic brew of chemicals is to get these tailings ponds off the Alberta landscape.”
AER spokesman Ryan Bartlett said his agency is investigating the incident, but the results may not be known for months. Meanwhile, neither Alberta’s Environment or Energy ministry would comment, leaving the matter to AER. Provincial Premier Jim Prentice said he’d have nothing to say until the AER issues a report on its investigation.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
