frickin frackin birds!

woodstock

woodstock

Final Approach
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iTravel
Number 4 flight of 2006 last night started by taking off the entire top cowling of the airplane. Walking up to the plane I saw a fair amount of bird poop around the cowling. We have the plugs on it, but that doesn't mean much.

I started finding little pieces of straw here and there - even behind the plugs! Since it's an older 172 you can open the side of it and peer in. luckily I had my flashlight because you could see some good progress made on a nest on the other side - not easily seen when you checked the oil as it was hidden.

I went to the other side and pulled out wads of straw and when my CFI showed up he took the whole top off. We pulled out even MORE then. and would you believe the prop didn't blow it all away when we started? weird.

at any rate, by the time we took off it was 8 PM so this was definitely another night flight. this was a towered one this time and since it was night time it was niiiiiiice and quiet. (maybe we should practice towers at night too! less chance of distractions).

Back at my home field I ruined my ratio of decent night landings. the first attempt was complete crap - for whatever reason I didn't do everything I usually do. didn't pull the power abeam the numbers, way too fast and LOW. I think I was farther out on downwind than usual (which contributed to being low once we entered base to final) but at night it's harder to gauge, maybe we weren't. so, a go around.

Next one - all set up, came in beautifully, but started flaring too high and back up again. another go around.

The third one was pretty decent. And we called it a night.
 
Sorry about the birds. :( I know it's a PITA, but they can't help it. Maybe covering it up until the nesting frenzy is over might help? Or a big plastic hawk perched on the cowling or up on the tail of the Skyhawk.

I found some success deterring male house sparrows outside my windows by getting shiny, glittery mylar that is red on one side, white on the other (like Christmas tree tinsel) and hanging loops and fringes of it. Flapping, moving, red material works to repel male sparrows too. If you are thinking why not the females--it is the males who choose locations and initiate the nest building, and really, I have no idea why red freaks them out--it just does. I have a rescued, human imprinted house sparrow as a room-mate that freaks out whenever I pick up a red shirt or hat.

Then again if starlings are building your nest, I don't know what freaks them, unless it is a predator.

But glad you had a nice quiet night with the tower and you got to fly! I went out to the airport last night and watched half a funnel cloud start forming up, so I had to settle for that. :)

(Hmm, I am going to have to think about creating red spandex, sequined, and tasseled airplane cowling and vent covers...LOL!!!)

terry
 
I know the feeling, Elizabeth. When I was a fixed-wing student I was preflighting a Warrior, and saw some straw in the tail cone. I started pulling it out and ended up with a mound of straw about 18" high.
 
The birds can be a PITA. I very happy to have moved into a new hanger this winter that the birds don't like because it has no place for them to roost. The last hanger they roosted right above my plane and pooped on it all the time.

One way to help stop the birds from getting in is not only to use the cowl plugs but block access around the nose wheel. A lot of the little b-tards sit on the wheel pant and then jump up the opening and get in.
 
I keep my 172 in an open hanger and was having the same bird problem. I went to Harbour Tool and bought an electric hoot owl. I placed it above the plane in the rafters, when the birds fly in, it hoots at them and they fly right back out. My bird problem has reduced to one or two droppings a week and no nesting problems at all. Its been the best $12.00 I have spent for the airplane.
 
Dean said:
I keep my 172 in an open hanger and was having the same bird problem. I went to Harbour Tool and bought an electric hoot owl. I placed it above the plane in the rafters, when the birds fly in, it hoots at them and they fly right back out. My bird problem has reduced to one or two droppings a week and no nesting problems at all. Its been the best $12.00 I have spent for the airplane.
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Wow! I didn't know they had that. I gotta check out the store near me.

I knocked the cross member that the resident Mama uses to hold her nest. I'm sure she'll just build this year's version nearby.

I got a bunch of cheap stuffed toys from the dollar store that I'm going to hang on fishing line. I figure having all those eyes moving around will help scare 'em off.
 
mikea said:
Wow! I didn't know they had that. I gotta check out the store near me.

I knocked the cross member that the resident Mama uses to hold her nest. I'm sure she'll just build this year's version nearby.

I got a bunch of cheap stuffed toys from the dollar store that I'm going to hang on fishing line. I figure having all those eyes moving around will help scare 'em off.
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Go here bunches of cool stuff http://absolutebirdcontrol.com

And the owls are here http://www.best-price.com/procSyste...omeandgarden?gclid=CKedpOqyvoQCFQiFHgodUWkXKw
 
You can go to boating store and get a stuffed owl that you could put on your prop when you park. Boaters use them to keep the gulls off the boats. If you want to see a real mess, look at what gulls can do to boats!
 
At an FBO where I worked in Southern Illinois, the boss used to shoot the birds in the hangar with a pellet gun. There is nothing quite like the sound of a little birdie corpse hitting the wing or tail of a $300,000 airplane, and hearing the pellet bounce around the hangar to parts unknown..... Ahhhh, the good old days (4 years ago btw.)

Another FBO used a sonic bird chaser thing that was relatively expensive, but worked really well. It had three speakers and clicked and squeaked a lot. It made me nuts to listen to it too though!

--Matt
 
Ya know what's really werid? Last year I found about a half dozen tiny broken eggs on the concrete stoop to my garage in the back yard. OK, I figger, a racoon or sumthin got the nest wherever it was.

Just now, I found another tiny blue broken egg in the gangway alongside. What amazed me it looked just like an Easter candy egg except the broken shell was very fragile and the "creme" inside was thin.

Dis is the da city! Poor boid.
 
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my theory Beth, is you know your a real pilot when your night landings start becoming progressivly worse.
 
mikea said:
Ya know what's really werid? Last year I found about a half dozen tiny broken eggs on the concrete stoop to my garage in the back yard. OK, I figger, a racoon or sumthin got the nest wherever it was.

Just now, I found another tiny blue broken egg in the gangway alongside. What amazed me it looked just like an Easter candy egg except the broken shell was very fragile and the "creme" inside was thin.

Dis is the da city! Poor boid.
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THEY'RE FOLLOWING ME!!!

I was happy that the plane hadn't been attacked by boids yet and, even though the mechanic didn't find my cowl plugs to install, the engine was clean as a whistle.

There is still a nest over the front door but I didn't knock that one down last year. I did knock down the one in the rafters over the wing.

Then I looked at the metal shelving unit behind the tail of my plane. There were TWO new nests on top! One was neatly encompassed in the base of an inverted bucket the previous tenant left there.

I scooped both nests into my wastebasket and saw that the high one has 3 of those little blue eggs in it. I relocated it to the main hangar. The kids are on their own.

I stopped by Harbor Freight. They had an owl with a head that swivels in the wind but not the one that makes noise. The cashier in the store gave me the number for ....Harold the Hoot Owl! http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?function=Search
I guess I'll order Harold.

One of my neighbors told me how their hangar is infested with mice. She's trapping them by the dozens. They even get in the plane. I guess Harold might scare them away, too. I've used trays of mothballs, too but she fears for her dog.
 
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The best thing for mice is a nice Black Rat snake. He will leave you alone and eat the mice. When the mice are gone, he will leave as well. Also, eats birds, but he can scare the hell out of you when your not expecting him to be under the work bench:hairraise:
 
O.K. I have a question?

A buddy of mine has had all the same issues.

How about a cowling cover that would encapsulate the entire cowling made of a light weight material that would breath and would not trap in moisture while easy to put on?

Will not take care of the droppings but would keep the nests out as well as mice!

I don’t have anything yet, just thought about it.

Any Thoughts?
 
I found cheaper and better owls at (UGH!) Walter Drake:
http://www.wdrake.com/product_detail.aspx?affid=16&item_no=1003975
http://www.wdrake.com/product_detail.aspx?affid=16&item_no=1010429

I bought two of each which added $9 for shipping. I checked the specs fairly well but I still can end up with a shadow of what I think it should be. We'll see. Can't be any worse than the deal at Harbor Freight.

I get that Harbor Freight has the cheapest looks-the-same knockoffs of real products. What I don't get is why they aren't cheaper than they are. They shouldn't be merely 20% less than a name brand. For 20% I'll buy the real deal and not put up with something I know won't last.

The deal should be like when we bought the economy car battery at Wal Mart knowing that it couldn't last very long. In that case I'm a happy that the $39 battery held up for 2-3 years vs. a real one at $75-$90. We may have to replace it now, but I might just get another.
 
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Dean said:
The best thing for mice is a nice Black Rat snake. He will leave you alone and eat the mice. When the mice are gone, he will leave as well. Also, eats birds, but he can scare the hell out of you when your not expecting him to be under the work bench:hairraise:
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Why am I reminded of a certain song?
 
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