Bloody Geese!!!

[fishfoxey]

Anyone got any solutions to keep the geese of your mooring ( other than a shotgun). Fed up washing the poo off the pontoon. I have seen a few fake owls about but not sure if they work thx

[PaulN]

When I moored at North Fambridge Marina on the River Crouch many years ago, they had a similar problem. The Marina Company stapled down chicken wire fencing to the pontoon surface. The geese hated it and went elsewhere for their ablutions. 

[BroadAmbition]

Hmmm, we have the same issue with pigeons roosting in the wetshed.  One of my shotguns is huge overkill at that range, same with my rifle.  Even my air rifle is just too powerful.  Then of course there is the byelaw stating no firearms of any description within 1/4 ?  mile of any Broads waterway kinda restricts this solution.

What about one of those kite type flying predators? and maybe a sound recording similar to those used on airfields - Might annoy the neighbours though

I have come up with a solution that will work but no good if your are on an outside mooring.  Rip proof thin lightweight tarps, that'll stop em, along with the rust n water drips too - Bargain.  Issue there is, they are expensive and a right pain getting up there to fasten em in place.  At least it'll only have to be done once.

Griff

[floydraser]

15 hours ago, fishfoxey said:

 I have seen a few fake owls about but not sure if they work 

How about a large fake cat?

[grendel]

how about a large real cat

[Cockatoo]

We find a pair of Jack Russels works well. They are getting used to the 'only chase them if they are bigger than you' rule. It stops them chasing ducks :)

[floydraser]

37 minutes ago, Cockatoo said:

We find a pair of Jack Russels works well. They are getting used to the 'only chase them if they are bigger than you' rule. It stops them chasing ducks :)

But doesn't eliminate the postman. 

[YnysMon]

Graham had a short term contract as a postie last January. He soon learnt the technique of posting through a letterbox without inserting your fingers in too far, having got bitten by a dog that was lying in wait below the letterbox. He has developed a theory that it's the silent but deadly types that are the menace, not the ones that bark loudly and enthusiastically.

[RumPunch]

5 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

Graham had a short term contract as a postie last January. He soon learnt the technique of posting through a letterbox without inserting your fingers in too far, having got bitten by a dog that was lying in wait below the letterbox. He has developed a theory that it's the silent but deadly types that are the menace, not the ones that bark loudly and enthusiastically.

As a teenager on a paper-round, there was one particularily savage mutt. Used to roll the paper tight, sit it just in the letter box, and when he went for it whack the other end hard and send it through like a missile

[FairTmiddlin]

3 minutes ago, RumPunch said:

As a teenager on a paper-round, there was one particularily savage mutt. Used to roll the paper tight, sit it just in the letter box, and when he went for it whack the other end hard and send it through like a missile

Delivered Newspapers from the age of 7 until I was 15. The only dog that got me was one day a lady opened the door to say thank you. And this Rat on a rope Pekinese shot out between her feet and sunk it's fangs into my Achilles tendon.

I can handle any size of dog from a great dane downwards until I get to sideboard dogs.

 

[grendel]

a friend of mine had a rottweiller/ doberman cross, he fitted a cage inside the door, well that worked ubtil the dog head butted it and flattened it to the door, after that it was an outside letter box, the funniest incident was when he returned home to find the dog stuck on the curved windowsill in the bay window, it had apparently got up then followed the newspaper boy to the door, then got stuck not being able to reverse, my friend had to pick up 11stone of dog and put it back on the floor.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Sister fitted a baby stair gate 3ft away from the front door to stop her little dog shredding the mail. Came home one evening to find dog stuck in the small area between the door and the gate, never did figure that one out as dog was way too small to jump over the gate.

[SteveO]

The trouble with the "predator type" bird deterrents - owls and hawks and the like -  is that, unless they are coupled to an actual biological threat, birds get used to them and they cease to be effective.  A few years ago, we were pestered by starlings, which would feed at my neighbour's bird table and then sit in a large ash tree which overhangs part of my decking and rain cr*p down onto the deck and my conservatory roof. I invested in a bird scarer which emitted amplified recordings of raucous predator bird cries and played it whenever these nuisance birds congregated. Although the starlings seem to find the noise quite amusing,  fortunately, my neighbour soon took the hint and moved his bird table to a spot under a different tree. 

[SANTED]

Starlings are now a rarity where I live. Years ago, there used to be huge flocks roosting in the trees bordering our gardens and you couldn’t hold a conversation in the garden for their noise until someone had the bright idea to throw a dust bin lid onto the ground and they would depart en masse. Nowadays to see a starling in the garden is unusual. The wood pigeons have taken over