Bye bye blackbirds.
- treeman
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2842
- Joined: August 15th, 2011, 4:47 pm
- Favorite Species: any
- Bonsai Age: 25
- Location: melbourne
- Has thanked: 29 times
- Been thanked: 578 times
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
I Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate Black birds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are in plague proportions here because this is the only moist property in the area. They have reduced a 1 metre high compost pile to 10cm of mulch in no time.
KILL THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
And while you're at it Starlings, and Mynas as well.
European song thrush on the other hand. No problem. Lovely song, eat snails, stay away from the fruit....... Nice birdy.
They are in plague proportions here because this is the only moist property in the area. They have reduced a 1 metre high compost pile to 10cm of mulch in no time.
KILL THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
And while you're at it Starlings, and Mynas as well.
European song thrush on the other hand. No problem. Lovely song, eat snails, stay away from the fruit....... Nice birdy.
Last edited by treeman on March 8th, 2016, 11:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mike
-
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 321
- Joined: September 16th, 2009, 6:35 pm
- Favorite Species: Elm
- Bonsai Age: 18
- Bonsai Club: CBS
- Location: NSW
- Has thanked: 15 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
Mynah birds are definitely a serious pest and displace native birds . Blackbirds are also foreign invaders , do they also displace small native birds ?
Graham
Graham
- Sno
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1202
- Joined: January 16th, 2011, 12:26 pm
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Crackenback NSW
- Has thanked: 495 times
- Been thanked: 621 times
- Contact:
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
We used to have a family of chuffs , I haven't seen them since the blackbirds came . I have noticed some of the smaller native birds coexisting with blackbirds , the wrens follow in the blackbirds wake getting what they miss . All the birds were more nervous because the blackbirds constantly call there warning cry . The problem with feral animals is while a bunny or Bambi or the colt from Old Regret may seem harmless in ones or two s when the numbers build up they dramatically change sensitive environments sometimes in ways we don't comprehend .
- MoGanic
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1250
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 7:15 pm
- Favorite Species: Shimpaku
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Victoria
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
No animal deserves to die just because it's annoying or an inconvenience. There are better ways to deal with this and these have been mentioned here and all over the internet.
The birds are merely trying to survive - as would any creature in the same circumstance.
If they don't belong here - perhaps the idiots who introduced them should be killed rather than the birds themselves.
If a bird moves your moss, or even kills one of your tree's, it is doing so in an attempt to find food for itself or to feed its young. I've lost tree's where birds have directly contributed to their death, and in fact I even lost a loved pet to a fox recently - but that doesn't mean I'll be killing foxes or birds next time I see them. I will better protect my tree's and pets in future as I have done and honestly it works out easier for me and means I don't kill anything.
The birds are merely trying to survive - as would any creature in the same circumstance.
If they don't belong here - perhaps the idiots who introduced them should be killed rather than the birds themselves.
If a bird moves your moss, or even kills one of your tree's, it is doing so in an attempt to find food for itself or to feed its young. I've lost tree's where birds have directly contributed to their death, and in fact I even lost a loved pet to a fox recently - but that doesn't mean I'll be killing foxes or birds next time I see them. I will better protect my tree's and pets in future as I have done and honestly it works out easier for me and means I don't kill anything.
There are many ways to do things, but only one "best" way.
- Steven
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3408
- Joined: November 7th, 2008, 11:21 am
- Favorite Species: [color=green]Casuarina[/color]
- Bonsai Age: 15
- Bonsai Club: AusBonsai & The School of Bonsai
- Location: Sydney
- Has thanked: 43 times
- Been thanked: 61 times
- Contact:
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
Well said Mo! Prevention is better than cure!MoGanic wrote:I will better protect my tree's and pets in future
Regards,
Steven
- Matthew
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1846
- Joined: March 8th, 2009, 11:58 am
- Favorite Species: pines and maples
- Bonsai Age: 17
- Bonsai Club: none
- Location: the hills NE victoria
- Has thanked: 17 times
- Been thanked: 179 times
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
treeman wrote:I Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate Black birds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are in plague proportions here because this is the only moist property in the area. They have reduced a 1 metre high compost pile to 10cm of mulch in no time.
KILL THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
And while you're at it Starlings, and Mynas as well.
European song thrush on the other hand. No problem. Lovely song, eat snails, stay away from the fruit....... Nice birdy.
The blackbirds pull out ALOT of mulch etc in my garden . for such a little bird they move alot of STUFF and cause a big mess !! the Thrush's are fantastic and i have no problems with them at all as well as the honey eaters and rens, firetails etc .
cockatoos on the other hand are a pain ! I dont' have a myna within several km of me . They are all scared to visit me with good reason
Last edited by Matthew on March 8th, 2016, 3:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Rory
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2850
- Joined: January 23rd, 2013, 11:19 pm
- Favorite Species: Baeckea Phebalium Casuarina & Banksia
- Bonsai Age: 24
- Location: Central Coast, NSW
- Has thanked: 23 times
- Been thanked: 486 times
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
That is an interesting philosophy. I too am saddened to think that most animals are simply doing what they do. On the other hand, feral cats and cane toads often spring to mind as some of the reasons why the scientific community say that certain animals should be killed.MoGanic wrote:No animal deserves to die just because it's annoying or an inconvenience. There are better ways to deal with this and these have been mentioned here and all over the internet.
Essentially it is either them, or an absolute plethora of our beautiful and now endangered native animals that are killed by them, often to extinction. I would love to hear a solution for them that doesn't involve killing them, but it has not and quite probably wont be discovered. Perhaps a virus that sterilizes the males would be a good solution?
We can all agree, that in hindsight cane toads should not have been introduced, nor cats for that matter. But we can't change the past and now we have to deal with the current situation of our native fauna.
In some ways, you could compare it to flora, in that everyone agrees a toxic or invasive weed should be eradicated, but on the other hand, applying the philosophy above would mean that the weed is simply introduced and trying to survive in a different environment too.
Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus
Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480
Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724
Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995
How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus
Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480
Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724
Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995
How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
- Mojo Moyogi
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1656
- Joined: May 5th, 2009, 11:26 am
- Favorite Species: Maple, Elm, Hornbeam, Pine, Larch and Cedar
- Bonsai Age: 22
- Bonsai Club: Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
- Location: Yarra Ranges, VIC
- Been thanked: 1 time
- Contact:
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
I don't get blackbirds or mynas, I wonder if that is because of the the squadrons of Kookaburras that have the run of the place. Gotta love the RAAF
Cheers,
Mojo
Cheers,
Mojo
...Might as well face it, I'm addicted to Shohin...
"Any creative work can be roughly broken down into three components- design, technique and materials. Good design can carry poor technique and materials but no amount of expertise and beautiful materials can save poor design". Andrew McPherson - Furniture designer and artist
"Any creative work can be roughly broken down into three components- design, technique and materials. Good design can carry poor technique and materials but no amount of expertise and beautiful materials can save poor design". Andrew McPherson - Furniture designer and artist
-
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 120
- Joined: March 20th, 2009, 8:23 pm
- Favorite Species: Maple
- Bonsai Age: 19
- Bonsai Club: Vic Native BC
- Location: Melbourne, Vic
- Has thanked: 33 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
Well said Rory. Animal pests require the same management as plant pests. Done humanely of course. Culling to save bonsai seems somewhat selfish but it will also help native species so do it for them. I do not often hear talk of saving foxes in Australia??
Stu
- MoGanic
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1250
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 7:15 pm
- Favorite Species: Shimpaku
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Victoria
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
I talked of not killing them... does that count?Stu wrote:Well said Rory. Animal pests require the same management as plant pests. Done humanely of course. Culling to save bonsai seems somewhat selfish but it will also help native species so do it for them. I do not often hear talk of saving foxes in Australia??
There are many ways to do things, but only one "best" way.
- MoGanic
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1250
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 7:15 pm
- Favorite Species: Shimpaku
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Victoria
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
With birds/other animals though, I see it differently - it is not the birds fault and so they should not pay for our mistake. There are other options - one that springs to mind is de-sexing - rather than capturing and "humanely" murdering the birds, why not capture them and de-sex them instead? That way, any birds that are already born will have the opportunity to live out their entire life but won't be able to breed. I get it may be a little bit more expensive, perhaps risky to the bird, but it's better than the aim being to end their life. This also means that if the bird has babies it needs to tend do, it has a chance to get back to them too.Rory wrote:That is an interesting philosophy. I too am saddened to think that most animals are simply doing what they do. On the other hand, feral cats and cane toads often spring to mind as some of the reasons why the scientific community say that certain animals should be killed.MoGanic wrote:No animal deserves to die just because it's annoying or an inconvenience. There are better ways to deal with this and these have been mentioned here and all over the internet.
Essentially it is either them, or an absolute plethora of our beautiful and now endangered native animals that are killed by them, often to extinction. I would love to hear a solution for them that doesn't involve killing them, but it has not and quite probably wont be discovered. Perhaps a virus that sterilizes the males would be a good solution?
We can all agree, that in hindsight cane toads should not have been introduced, nor cats for that matter. But we can't change the past and now we have to deal with the current situation of our native fauna.
In some ways, you could compare it to flora, in that everyone agrees a toxic or invasive weed should be eradicated, but on the other hand, applying the philosophy above would mean that the weed is simply introduced and trying to survive in a different environment too.
I get your point about the weeds, but would you rather have to pull the weeds/poison them etc... or would you rather not have had weeds in the first place? Prevention is key here. Stop them breeding - but let them live.
And just a point - Despite organisations being set up for the sole purpose of a. profits and b. killing birds/other animals - I have yet to see a species be completely eradicated. Prove me wrong - though I still won't agree with it. If killing them can make a difference, so can desexing or some other means - if killing them doesn't make a difference, nothing will.
Oh and foxes - like I said, they ate my pet rabbit, but I still wouldn't kill one. I just put barriers under my fence to stop them getting under - the fence is far too high for them to get over. I often see their little foot prints in the dirt of my front yard and it makes me smile because I know that we are co-existing.
There are many ways to do things, but only one "best" way.
- Theodore
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 268
- Joined: November 28th, 2015, 10:12 am
- Favorite Species: Larch
- Bonsai Age: 24
- Bonsai Club: Albury Wodonga Bonsai Society
- Location: Wodonga
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 2 times
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
And you wonder why these things annoy me!
Sent from somewhere on planet earth using an iPad!
Sent from somewhere on planet earth using an iPad!
- Sammy D
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 368
- Joined: August 30th, 2014, 7:45 am
- Favorite Species: Olive
- Bonsai Age: 8
- Location: S A
- Been thanked: 2 times
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
I like most have a blackbird problem. I would quite happily sit there and shoot them out the back with a slug gun. Problem is they are very flighty. ( probably cause i always chase them off like a loony). Also i dont want shoot my pots by accident ha ha and there are simply too many. I have tried a solution lately in putting fine grade bird mesh around the trunk and overhanging the pot makeing sure all moss is covered. So far 4months later moss is better than ever and no digging. Obviously does not look too good on the bench though and makes weeding the pots a little harder. Plus side is if you want to show it or have it as a centre piece at a party you have good moss. Also your trees dont get uprooted. A comprimise i know but seems to work for me. I keep my sanity ha ha and the birds as annoying as they are get to live.
A stick in a pot is better than no stick at all. Remember even the best bonsai started as a stick.
- MoGanic
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 1250
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 7:15 pm
- Favorite Species: Shimpaku
- Bonsai Age: 0
- Location: Victoria
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
Great solution. It is no doubt an inconvenience to have to cover your trees as described but like you say, the birds get to live.Sammy D wrote:I like most have a blackbird problem. I would quite happily sit there and shoot them out the back with a slug gun. Problem is they are very flighty. ( probably cause i always chase them off like a loony). Also i dont want shoot my pots by accident ha ha and there are simply too many. I have tried a solution lately in putting fine grade bird mesh around the trunk and overhanging the pot makeing sure all moss is covered. So far 4months later moss is better than ever and no digging. Obviously does not look too good on the bench though and makes weeding the pots a little harder. Plus side is if you want to show it or have it as a centre piece at a party you have good moss. Also your trees dont get uprooted. A comprimise i know but seems to work for me. I keep my sanity ha ha and the birds as annoying as they are get to live.
Thank you for posting this.
There are many ways to do things, but only one "best" way.
- Jimbomelville
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 70
- Joined: October 27th, 2013, 7:44 pm
- Favorite Species: Banksia & ficus
- Bonsai Age: 3
- Bonsai Club: Nepean Bonsai Society
- Location: Sydney NSW
Re: Bye bye blackbirds.
I have a moss-covered trident maple forest they continually wreck.
They only touch it so I think I'll build it a playpen. Hopefully that will do it.
Great idea.
They only touch it so I think I'll build it a playpen. Hopefully that will do it.
Great idea.