Hi guys, our allotments are still in constant threat from our arial pests, Pigions, Gulls, Crows etc, with the growing combat resulting in 100 plots using netting. The nets are endangering our Native Finches and even Hedgehogs have been caught up several times this winter alone. Our site are proud Green Flag flyers (formely known as the green pennant). A discussion is now taking place regarding the use of Birds of Prey as a deterrant, this seems to tick all the boxes and keeping in with our environmental good citizenship.
Would anyone know what the council policy is on the use of Birds of Prey on allotments?
Thanks for your time D
I cant help you with council info but I don know that a couple of sparrow hawks in the trees near our plots does wonders for keeping the damage down..
We have them naturally. Kestrel and Buzzards. Not sure they keep the pigeons off totally. Though there has been evidence of a few splatted pigeons. Though I think they have a better effect on the crow family.
The kestrel is keen on voles I have seen several disappearing yet there are still a plentiful supply of the little pests.
We have had problems with hedgehogs and particularly grass snakes in netting.
I bought a plastic Kestrel off e-bay and it did not look anything like a Kestrel colour wise, but after a new paint job and one or two modifications like a pair of bright yellow talons it looks a treat, when I had it suspended from my weather vane in the garden a Blackbird close by flew off with such a racket, one of our allotment chaps uses a bird of prey in this fashion and says it works for him,
Thanks for the responce guys, ive mentioned it amongst more experienced Falconers so am awaiting feed back.
It seems to be more popular amongst fruit farmers, i think it would be great if we could incorperate this method on our site.
Thankyou D
We have resident kestrels, and the flying rats don't give a toss. One was killed last week by a big female sparrowhawk, but it doesn't seem to have inhibited the rest. Unfortunately we don't have resident sparrowhawks.
Aerial rodent behaviour seems to change with time. When I first had the plot, they were murder in winter, then lost interest in veg around April, and didn't bother until the first frosts. Than we had a few years when they were all over the veg all year. This winter, they haven't touched anything, on my plot at least.
Hi Mr Brenchley, our allotments are kind of made for the rodent birds, we have a tree line the length of the site as we merge into a park. I think we could cut back on our problem if we conserved the wooded area better and maybe removed a lot of the high wood. We have a lot of one year plots also, these plots tend to get allocated to enthusiastic garderners, who then fill them with lovely crops then we never see them again ::), leaving very healthy rodent population.
Im being told a large BOP should be flown every morning and again when they roost on an evening to have an effect, We have been offered a one month trial period by a local Falconer who flys a Harris hawk (apparently the bird shows little interest in the ferral birds) but still very effective.
ATB D
I have a large area where I grow brassica plants and it is covered by thick black netting which came off an old fruit cage. I have not had a bird or hedgehog caught up in it and it has been there for four years now. Prior to that I had some finer netting and did find the occasional bird caught up in it.
I think it would be worth looking at the netting each plot holder has and seeing if there is any particular netting that the finches are getting entangled with and if there is a plot with a different netting where nothing gets caught up.
Getting all the plot holders to change their netting to a more expensive one might be a different problem!
Hiya, i use a fruitcage myself and never have a problem, it does seem to be the cheap plastic netting that causes most problems, the heavier netting is quite workable, however our plot holders (100 plots) are a mixture of happy, grumpy, old school, new and to please them all has proven nigh on impossable.
But we try
ATB D
useing the right netting and useing it in the right way helps. don't thing B O P will help as my lotty is near woodland and we have buzzard around all the time and still have to net everything .It used to be only in the winter but the greens are being pecked all the year round now
marg
Hello Theothemarge, a Buzzard is a scavinger with very small feet so is not deemed as much of a threat for pest birds im affraid, our farms and woodland are rife with Buzzards at the moment due to a large increase in Rabbits suffering with Myxomatosis, there feeding well on corpses, but not great hunters.
Thanks ATB Dougie
They don't hunt birds, but anything shaped like a bird of prey is going to scare them. So don't take it for granted that the odd overflight from a falcon is going to do much.
I see that fits! I was once talking to a baby rabbit (yes I know that they are the enemy but I had a girly moment) and it suddenly froze and then shot through the hedge when a Buzzard was overhead.
the crows etc often gang up on them and give them a hard time
marg
Buzzards eat so many rabbits that in some areas they used to be known as rabbit hawks. I once saw two ravens annoying a peregrine. The thing suddenly turned round, put its afterburners on, and sent then screeching halfway across the sky. I'd like to see a buzzard do that!
I think there more renowned for the mugging of Hares, however I know the number of Buzzards are rising where mixy thrives, easy pickings for the lazy Buzzards.
Have you been watching Earth flight on BBC? A crow mobbed a golden eagle and sent it on its way.
Ive witnessed two crows battering a buzzard, didnt take very long for the Buzzard to tire.
I think all birds are amazing in there own way and for anyone who has missed earth flight, i urge you to watch it on bbc i, it truely is sensational footage.
All the best D
Is myxy still thriving anywhere? I've seen it pass from a devastating scourge to a serious disease to nothing much.
Im affraid it is very rife amongst my hunting ground and i know fellow Falconers and Lurcher men are reporting simular demise across the country. It spreads via Flees and warmer climate means more flees.
Land ive worked for 10 years (Romsley) harbourd vast ammounts of bunnies, but today its a shadow of its former glory.
I suppose theres other factors that can explain the demise of the rabbits but Mixy is there worst preditor IMO.
YIS D
I don't know lot about how the disease works, but if it's that bad again, there could be a new strain.
Its a cruel infliction Mr Brenchley, it saddens me to see.
ATB Dougie
I agree, it's a horrible disease.
A bit late on this topic but I know that huge plastic birds of prey are used under bridges to deter pidgeons from nesting/roosting when there is a problem. They have used plastic owls which worked well.