Bird Proof Your Home for Spring

(ARA) - Spring is a busy time for birds. Warmer temperatures increase food sources, and birds are on the look out for new nesting spots and mates. Whether they are returning from a winter migration or are resident birds weary from a long winter haul, they have a lot of work to be done before autumn.

Birds are in survival mode in the spring. In order to get through the next winter, they will be searching for spots that provide the elements needed to survive. Most homes and gardens provide the three elements necessary for a birds’ survival: food, water and shelter.

Whether you anticipate birds returning to your home, or are dealing with a pest bird problem now, addressing these three elements will make it easy to bird proof a home for the spring. Taking away food or water sources, and blocking off ideal nesting spots like dryer vents and eaves will help send pest birds packing.

Doing a quick check around the home in the beginning stages of spring can mean the difference between successfully deterring pest birds or not. Have you had a recurring problem with nesting birds? If yes, treating these spots with deterrents before the birds return will yield better results than waiting until they have come back. Once they begin to build a nest, birds will be more persistent about keeping the spot.

Common places pest birds like to nest include:
* Dryer vents
* Eaves
* Open attics
* Garages, barns or boathouses
* Under roof tiles
* Under air-condition units

Checking these areas for nesting materials will clue you in as to whether this may be a problem spot. Birds like to nest high, so check beams, ledges and rafters. If there are nesting materials, a cleanup is essential. Bird droppings and nests can host disease and parasites. A good cleaning will not only protect you and your family, but also eliminate scents that help a bird identify their old nest.

There are many different bird deterrents available in today’s market that can be used for a wide variety of problems. Bird deterrents usually fit into four categories;

Visual Bird Deterrents

Visual deterrents are meant to be seen by birds, to frighten or scare them away from open areas. Visual deterrents will have shiny reflective surfaces or mock predator features. Visual bird deterrents include Mylar flash tape, scare eye diverters and balloons. There are also decoys like owls available. These items work best when hung right in front of a problem area. When the bird fly’s towards the spot, they will see the visual deterrents and get confused or frightened, and want to avoid the area.

Sound Deterrents for Birds

Sound deterrents use recorded bird calls to deter pest birds from large open spaces. A mixture of predator calls and distress calls can be used to alert birds in the surrounding area of danger. Most sound deterrents are weatherproof and designed for outdoor use. These are ideal to use when you have a large open space to treat. Sound deterrents include the Bird Chase Super Sonic.

Physical Bird Deterrents

Physical deterrents are used to block or prevent birds from gaining access to the area they desire. Physical deterrents include bird netting and ledge products like the Bird Spike 2000. Bird netting is installed as a screen to block birds from entering areas. Bird spikes, bird slopes and bird deterrent gel are all used on ledges to prevent birds from landing.

Liquid Bird Repellents

There are also a few liquid repellents used for discouraging birds. Pest control companies can work with fogging machines, or misting units to deter birds from large open spaces.
A non-toxic grape extract that irritates a bird’s mucous membranes is used in these two types of devices. If you have a large tree in your backyard where hundreds of birds were congregating, it’s best to call out a pest control company to fog or mist the tree to repel the birds. The grape extract is safe for both birds, and humans.

There are also live bird traps, and a few other types of bird deterrents available. Knowing what type of bird you are having a problem with, and considering the area that is being affected will help in choosing the best product for the situation. Contacting a bird control company like Absolute Bird Control or Bird-B-Gone can also help ensure that you have chosen the right method.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Sandy Toes and Edisto's Loggerhead Sea Turtles

Having just arrived at our destination, we were quick to grab our swimsuits and fall out the door onto the sand of Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Slather on some sunscreen and let the vacation begin. While our expectations were high for the week, we stumbled across other finds that show us high hopes for the future.

Surrounding our beach house on the water side were two areas of orange tape. Looking closely, we could see indentations in the sand and the signs placed by the volunteers who watch the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. We sat smack down in between two turtle nests. One had been there for about 40 days and the other one about 10 days according to beach patrol Gary. Gary, who patrols the beach and is a volunteer loggerhead watcher, was eager to teach us landlubbers about the turtles.

The gracious ladies who come ashore to lay their eggs between May and August are coming home to the island of their birth. These gentle creatures can be up to three feet in size and weigh several hundred pounds. They come ashore at night to lay the ping pong ball sized eggs. Their flippers serve as a shovel and it can take an hour or more for the female to complete her nest. A typical nest will contain approximately 60-180 eggs.

The turtles are easily distracted from the work at hand. Should there be lights on the beach, or animals in the vicinity, the turtle may just crawl up and crawl back, thus exhibiting a "false crawl," whose track shape resembles a horseshoe. Gary told us she would then just abort the eggs into the ocean. A "true crawl" is one where the volunteers who walk the beach at night can locate the nest, and it has two distinct tracks.

Our second morning on the beach was thrilling. Here were new turtle tracks. Our trusty guide Gary showed us how to read the turtle tracks. In front of the nest was a huge "x" as in "x marks the spot." Gary explained the turtle patrol who had watched the turtle during the night placed the "x" to alert him of a new nest. He then placed an orange flag in the center of the nest.

Over the incubation period of the next 50-60 days, Gary and the other turtle watchers will keep a close eye on the nest. As time nears for the eggs to hatch, the sand will start to settle. A shell is then placed on top of the nest to show how much it is sinking. Experienced eyes can read those shells and determine about when the hatchlings will make their appearance. The hatchlings will boil out of the nest and head towards the ocean. The watchers are there in hopes that all of the young will make it there. Imprinting happens as soon as those hatchlings emerge. They follow the light of the moon to the ocean. If there are any lights on at the houses, the little tykes become confused and head towards the road.

Once the turtles go into the water, the males will never again touch land. Only the females will return in about 20 years or so.

Gary explained the process where the turtle watchers verify a nest. The nest will be about 18 to 24 inches down in the sand. A stick is used to verify the eggs' location. From the explanation, a gentle hand is used during this process.

Sometimes the eggs are too close to the high tide mark and have to be moved. Should the nest be moved, each egg must be individually moved without rotating the angle at which it was found. If the eggs are turned, the turtles will not hatch, or they will be deformed. While we were there, the oldest nest in front of our house had to be moved. There was an extremely high tide one night and the front part of the nest would not have been above the water line for more than a few days at most. The patrol moved the eggs about 30 feet. While this nest only had a few weeks left to go in its incubation phase, it was the only way any of the eggs will have a chance to hatch.

According to Gary, the female turtles will come ashore three or four times during the season to lay their eggs. The survival rate of the little tykes from the laying to adulthood is only about 1 in a thousand.

These animals can survive for close to 200 years. Full of grace and beauty, they are on the endangered list. Survival from predators who are natural and non-natural have severely depleted this turtle population. Over development on beaches and the loss of sandy beach for their nests have also taken their toll.

Protect the sea turtle. Give them hope. Give us hope.

Until next time,
Sandy Toes on Edisto

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New Lighting Guidelines for Jekyll Island Beaches to Protect Endangered Sea Turtles

NF Note: Please remember "no lights on the beach" during nesting season for the sea turtles. These animals are amazing and they can use all the help we can give them.

PRNewswire/ -- The Jekyll Island State Park Authority (JIA) today announced it's intentions to set greater restrictions on lights near its natural beaches in order to protect sea turtles from the adverse effects of artificial light. The move, once approved as a new ordinance for the state-owned island, will likely be the model for beach lighting ordinances for all of Georgia's coast communities.

Artificial lighting is the light that emanates from any man-made device, such as street-lights, tree lights, beach-walk lanterns, and neon signs. This new ordinance, which strictly defines what will and will not be allowed on and near the beach, will be regulated and enforced by the JIA.

"Jekyll Island is well-known for its conservation efforts, especially through the work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center," said Ben Porter, chairman of the Jekyll Island State Park Authority. "This is another big step towards making Jekyll Island one of the most environmentally-friendly communities on the East Coast."

The new ordinance was developed in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources with vital input from the experts at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Once approved, illumination of certain beaches will be prohibited at nighttime during the sea turtle nesting season for the protection of the nesting females and hatchling sea turtles making their way into the sea. Oftentimes hatchlings will confuse artificial lighting with the reflection of the moon, which they use as a marker to get to the ocean once they hatch.

"We were pleased to see the Jekyll Island Authority take the lead in placing these restrictions into an enforceable ordinance," said Noel Holcomb, Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. "As Chairman of the Shore Protection Committee, I will promote the standards within this ordinance to the Shore Protection Committee as we consider beachfront projects for permitting under the Shore Protection Act."

Lighting may still be operated during the nesting season if the light, or reflection, is not directly visible from the beach. But the majority of the lights will be low-intensity lighting, such as amber or red LEDs, red neon lights and "Turtle Safe Lighting," which are coated and compact florescent lamps under 13 watts. Additionally, the ordinance states that tinting will be installed on all windows and glass doors within line-of-sight of the beach.

The new ordinance was announced by the Jekyll Island Authority at its regular meeting on Monday. The "first reading" of any new ordinance must be posted for public review, anyone interested in reading the proposed ordinance language can view it on the Authority's Web site at www.jekyllislandauthority.org . The Jekyll Island Authority is expected to adopt the new ordinance at its regular meeting in August.

Flash Food Birds

I posted something about this on my Ramblin' Jan blog or the Fayette Life blog a while back, but it was so neat I thought I'd re-post the photos in Naturally Fayette as they "fit" better here!

As you can see the birds have decided they have the perfect place to call home.

Those deep, nicely rounded holes in the letters make a great sheltered place for a nest. Not to mention all the food that gets dropped on the ground!

I would imagine that quite a few folks getting gas probably toss a tidbit their way every once in a while.

I would also bet that the people who have to clean the sidewalks hate that chore. Imagine all the bird poop.

This is the Flash Food / Exxon station located in Fayetteville at the Hwy. 85 and 314 intersection. If you sign up for a free Flash Food card you get 2 cents off a gallon. Their gas is usually as cheap, or cheaper, than most so of course I shop there first!

One more thing, not sure if it's always the way I found it, but twice while getting gas there I've had to step into the restroom. They were clean. Yep, a gas station bathroom that was clean.

And no, I don't know the people or have any reason to give them a plug other than any time I get friendly service (always) and a good value, I'm gonna pass it on if I can.

Attack Bird!

We have a lip under our porch that always has a bird nest. Some seasons it's on the right, other times it's on the left.

Looking out our front door we get a private view of the nest without interfering with the inhabitants. The kids love to stand at the door and watch when new babies peek their beaks over the top for the first time.

The nest stays, the birds change. We used to knock the nest down but the birds would just come back and build another. Only one each year, never more.

I call the bird of the hour our attack bird. We warn people coming to deliver pizza or visit to beware of the swooping bird. Mama's will guard their nests!

The other night as I headed to bed I took a quick look to see if another bird had found the nest only to find a fairly good sized round red ball sitting atop the nest. I stared at it for a while wondering what in the world it might be. In the fairly dim light I couldn't quite make out whether it was fur, feather or rubber!

It didn't move, even when I popped on the front porch light. Hmmm... maybe the pizza delivery guy had come back, put a ball in the nest to act as a stopper!

It crossed my mind that it might be a cardinal as we have quite a few, but I wasn't aware that they ever hung out under porches that close to humans.

Sure enough though, it is a cardinal. It's a bit bigger than the birds that normally hang out in our nest apartment. It's been there for three nights now so I'm "assuming" it's here to stay for a while.

It could be that it lost its nest somehow to a predator. Could be it's been watching the other little birds fly in and out and decided to take over.

It's a bright red, so I'm not expecting to have little cardinals inhabiting the nest unfortunately. That would be a real treat.