Bird spikes on radome?

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by travler37

RedHead® Owl Decoy | Bass Pro Shops



Has worked in every building i have seen one in.No reason it wont work on a boat that i see.And a good conversation piece.
Mark

You haven't seen enough buildings

[LeaseOnLife]

Originally Posted by Sailor g

I don't think it has to be or even should be clear line. If they can't see it why won't they try to land, get scared, leave a big bird doo before they fly off. Friends use white string to keep blue herons from even trying to fly into their cockpit & it works. ...

I guess, different strings for different birds. I find birds to be amazingly able to land between all strings they see, even in very little light. The fishing line around their feet throws them off a bit, and some don't retry....

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

You haven't seen enough buildings

That looks like my neighbor's house if you mix in a few crows with the gulls.
He's got a fake hawk up there and there's usually a crow sitting right next to it.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

You haven't seen enough buildings

Nah. That's actually a real owl wearing a gull hat.

Fakes 'em out every time.

[sailinmike]

Home Depot sells the plastic bird spikes for about $20. Comes with a tube of glue to attach them with. They also work great to keep a cat out of a flowerbed.

[Hud3]

They seem to be able to see the monofilament. I used 90 lb clear variety stretched from my shrouds to eye straps on the mast, about 3" above the spreaders. It was 100% effective at keeping birds off.

[barnakiel]

I would be worried the spikes can cut the bird's feet (?).

When we have a visitor and I want it to go I just yell "shoooooo" and they tend to go.

b.

[Katiusha]

We also have a Raymarine radome on a Questus backstay. Never a problem. We think it's because we have two VHF antennas installed beside it (AIS and weather fax). But then we only sail through high seagull areas and don't stay there for long.

... Though there is a story with us against the cormorans that were "brought north by the hurricane" as the locals say. But there nothing would've helped.

[Sailor g]

A friend had a small ball of some sort wrapped and hung on a spare halyard above the radar dome. It was heavy enough not to get blown about by wind. The ball just swung back & forth to keep pigeons off. It didn't make any noise & seemed easier than glue & spikes. You would have to bring down to secure to sail but seems ok. We have a tri lens above ours so few birds try.

[Boracay]

We're next to a seagull colony so it's a continual battle.

The "rats of the sea" are smart. They can figure anything out given a few days. The CD's just act as landing beacons on Boracay.

I've gone from tight strings fore and aft to very loose strings side to side. As long as I keep moving the locations the seagulls are not happy (as measured by the amount of $#!^ not on the deck). Sometimes it's almost as though they're swearing at me as they fly past.

My latest "trick" is upside down 2 litre (quart?) white ice cream containers upside down on deck, held in place by loose strings to holes drilled in their sides near the bottom. I'm going on the theory that what seagulls hate most is other seagulls, and the white ice cream containers could look a bit like a seagull in the dark.

So my suggestion would be to glue an upside down white ice cream container on top of the radardome. Maybe with a little creative cutting round the edges and a few holes to let out the water.

[travler37]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

You haven't seen enough buildings

OK,
common sence prevails........
you can not leave said attack OWL in same place...
ROLLS EYES
Mark

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Boracay

We're next to a seagull colony so it's a continual battle.

The "rats of the sea" are smart. They can figure anything out given a few days. The CD's just act as landing beacons on Boracay.

I've gone from tight strings fore and aft to very loose strings side to side. As long as I keep moving the locations the seagulls are not happy (as measured by the amount of $#!^ not on the deck). Sometimes it's almost as though they're swearing at me as they fly past.

My latest "trick" is upside down 2 litre (quart?) white ice cream containers upside down on deck, held in place by loose strings to holes drilled in their sides near the bottom. I'm going on the theory that what seagulls hate most is other seagulls, and the white ice cream containers could look a bit like a seagull in the dark.

So my suggestion would be to glue an upside down white ice cream container on top of the radardome. Maybe with a little creative cutting round the edges and a few holes to let out the water.

Hope it works (for a few days anyway). Seagulls in the west seem to be a more gregarious lot. A soon as one or two breach my latest defense, they seem to invite their mates along and show them how smart they are.

Not only it is a never ending battle, it is one that I am always losing!

[travler37]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Hope it works (for a few days anyway). Seagulls in the west seem to be a more gregarious lot. A soon as one or two breach my latest defense, they seem to invite their mates along and show them how smart they are.

Not only it is a never ending battle, it is one that I am always losing!

Plan B,
Frozen paint balls......
head shots with no sound besides a puff...legal in every state to discharge.
Mark

[Wotname]

I suspect the problem is more what to do when one is not on-board otherwise Barnakiel's advice is best:
"When we have a visitor and I want it to go I just yell "shoooooo" and they tend to go."

[Sailor g]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Hope it works (for a few days anyway). Seagulls in the west seem to be a more gregarious lot. A soon as one or two breach my latest defense, they seem to invite their mates along and show them how smart they are.

Not only it is a never ending battle, it is one that I am always losing!

The name flying rat is a compliment as rats are really smart. Seagulls send a scout in to check out the area then ok it for others. Ravens are said to be as smart as a 2 yr. old. I know they tell time because school gets out at 3 and at 3:15 every day they and seagull scouts show up to check out the trash. The raven is first then the gulls follow. I chase them with a shoo & they wait until I'm in my car before returning (they know I don't care enough to return).

I hate to say it but if I was a gambler-I'd bet on the birds. They have nothing else to do but figure out our games. Maybe they like the challenge?