Gardening and bird question.

[Bernard LPG]

Due to Mrs L's incapacity and (mainly) my idleness, we have parted with a great deal of the hard-earned and transformed our garden to be an almost maintenance free area with paving, gravel and raised shrubbery beds covered in bark mulch.

However a blackbird and his mate have taken up residence and the male is wreaking havoc with the mulch. I cannot believe the amount of excavation he is doing, scattering the mulch over the gravel and over the disabled walkway which is constructed from timber decking.

I know that this is really only a minor annoyance in the sphere of the world's problems, but it is taking hours to clear up and totally negating the whole concept.

I don't wish him any harm, (I may revise this after what he has done on the roof of the 75 though!) but anyone any ideas?

[GERFIX]

Originally Posted by Bernard LPG

Due to Mrs L's incapacity and (mainly) my idleness, we have parted with a great deal of the hard-earned and transformed our garden to be an almost maintenance free area with paving, gravel and raised shrubbery beds covered in bark mulch.

However a blackbird and his mate have taken up residence and the male is wreaking havoc with the mulch. I cannot believe the amount of excavation he is doing, scattering the mulch over the gravel and over the disabled walkway which is constructed from timber decking.

I know that this is really only a minor annoyance in the sphere of the world's problems, but it is taking hours to clear up and totally negating the whole concept.

I don't wish him any harm, (I may revise this after what he has done on the roof of the 75 though!) but anyone any ideas?

Not sure about a solution but I can certainly empathise with you - we have small white stones around the bases of our Hostas which are regularly strewn across the patio. But you've got to love the Blackbirds though, haven't you......

[Dragrad]

Originally Posted by Bernard LPG

I don't wish him any harm, (I may revise this after what he has done on the roof of the 75 though!) but anyone any ideas?

Get a cat. Simple

Bird sees cat, bird stays out of reach. Bird does not see cat, Darwin's theory applies.

[GreyGhost]

These are effective.
http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/pd4...IC-LEGS-X4.htm

Might annoy the neighbours though.

[ragitty]

I would imagine that the birds are following their instincts, looking for insects under the bark...would be nice to have a few pics of the little darlings...

[Bernard LPG]

Originally Posted by Dragrad

Get a cat. Simple

Bird sees cat, bird stays out of reach. Bird does not see cat, Darwin's theory applies.

All our cats have been idle, useless, garden digging parasites. Birds openly mock them. Oh! and they sleep on cars.

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

These are effective.
http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/pd4...IC-LEGS-X4.htm

Might annoy the neighbours though.

I don't give a hoot about the neighbours. Bit worried it may disturb my lay-in though because it gets light quite early now. Quite costly to run too. No, on careful consideration, that won't do.

[Bernard LPG]

Originally Posted by ragitty

I would imagine that the birds are following their instincts, looking for insects under the bark...would be nice to have a few pics of the little darlings...

I'll go out and 'shoot' them now!

[billnick]

Originally Posted by Dragrad

Get a cat. Simple

Bird sees cat, bird stays out of reach. Bird does not see cat, Darwin's theory applies.

Did you not mean MEERKAT:lol:

bill.

[StevenWilliams]

WE bought a cat scarer for the garden as we wanted the exact oposite (no cats and lots of birds) the problem is the cat scarer also scares away the birds.

So to answer your question. Get one of these.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs...Number=0426000
or

http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/s...d-repeller.asp

[Bernard LPG]

Originally Posted by StevenWilliams

WE bought a cat scarer for the garden as we wanted the exact oposite (no cats and lots of birds) the problem is the cat scarer also scares away the birds.

So to answer your question. Get one of these.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs...Number=0426000
or

http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/s...d-repeller.asp

That would have been ideal until I went out with the camera this evening and found that they have built their nest under our terracing. I can't live with the guilt if I drive them away completely now!

I wonder if there is some repellent that can be sprinkled on the relevant garden surface?
He is not going to find anything in the bark anyway as it has all been recently sterilised. I suppose that is the reason that he has been going frantic; he hasn't found anything to eat there.

It has amused me to see that the male has done all the work while the female has been sitting on the fence screaming abuse at him all day.
Hmmm. Anything familiar here?