by Pigeon Patrol | May 16, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
FEEDING the birds could cost a lot more than tuppence a bag under new rules to make Northwich a cleaner and safer place to work and visit.
Anyone caught giving food to pigeons in the town centre will be fined £75 in a bid to reduce the number of the birds in the shopping area.
Northwich Business Improvement District (BID) has worked with the regulatory authorities at Cheshire West and Chester Council and Streetscene on the new legislation.
Mark Henshaw, Northwich BID officer, said: “The Northwich BID team is constantly looking at ways to make the town an even better place to visit and after a series of complaints about pigeons we knew we needed to act.
“These posters will hopefully discourage people from feeding the birds; a cleaner, safer and more prosperous Northwich is beneficial to everyone.”
The BID is installing 50 enforceable signs in and around the town centre on bins and shop frontages.
The signs are designed to stop people from feeding the pigeons, outlining that individuals could be fined £75 on the spot if they are found guilty of giving food to the birds.
This will be enforced by community wardens who will be monitoring the situation for two hours a day between Monday and Saturday.
The measures follow numerous complaints from shoppers and traders about the growing number of pigeons in the town centre.
Concerns about the issue have also been raised with Northwich Town Council.
Mark said he hoped the signs would deter people from feeding the pigeons and cause the pigeon population would decrease.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | May 10, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News, UltraSonic Bird Control
Many birds travel in flocks, but the question of how they choose the leader has long puzzled scientists.
Now a team of researchers led by Mr Benjamin Pettit from Oxford University think they have the answer.
They fitted four flocks of 10 homing pigeons with small data logging backpacks and sent them on a series of group and solo flights.
These tracked not only the birds’ skill in making a beeline for home, but also measured their ability to influence the flock’s direction by recording the fractional time delays it takes one bird to react to another when flying together.
Some birds are naturally faster and consistently get to the front, where they end up doing more of the navigation, which means on future flights they know the way better.
Associate Professor Dora Biro
The researchers found that when the birds flew a route on their own for the first time those identified as leaders were no better than followers in forging a direct route home to their roost. But when the birds were tested individually after they had flown the route as part of a flock, leaders were found to have learned straighter homing routes than followers.
“Some birds are naturally faster and consistently get to the front, where they end up doing more of the navigation, which means on future flights they know the way better,” said study co-author Associate Professor Dora Biro, also of Oxford University.
“You can compare this to a ‘passenger-driver’ like effect: drivers in a car have to pay attention while passengers are often unable to recall the route they were driven along, especially if they remained passive in the navigation process.”
The finding, published in Current Biology, changes our understanding of how the flocks are structured and why pigeons have consistent leadership hierarchies, the researchers said.
Are leaders born or made?
Previous research had shown that leaders were not necessarily the most successful breeders or those with more social affiliations (friends) in the flock. Giving followers extra training flights does not promote them into a leadership position either.
Researcher releasing pigeon
PHOTO: Even when the pigeons were released from different locations the same pigeons led the flock (Zsuzsa Akos)
Instead, pigeons build on their natural strengths – in this case flight speed – to become leaders, said the researchers.
“Flight speed is correlated with body size, pectoral muscle mass and so on, but not necessarily with competence at solving the task at hand,” Dr Biro said.
“But we found that leaders learnt more during navigational problem-solving than followers, and as a result became better informed leaders.
“This suggests a positive feedback between leadership and competence, where leaders become increasingly more competent at leading – in a sense, they are ‘made’ into better leaders by being forced to lead in the first place.”
Even when the birds were released from new locations the same birds tended to lead, added Mr Pettit.
Could pigeon leadership apply to other birds?
Mr Pettit said the research demonstrated leadership hierarchies could arise from individual differences driven by a simple mechanism such as speed.
“In this case, the slower birds lag slightly behind and end up following their faster flock mates. Leadership does not require complex social interactions,” he said.
The findings indicated we would expect to find leadership in a wide variety of species that travel in groups, he said.
You may also like …
‘Protein compass’ may explain how pigeons find their way home
Pigeons identify breast cancer
However other factors would also come into play in migratory species.
“It depends on the variation in experience within the flock,” Mr Pettit said.
“In our experiment, the pigeons all had roughly the same level of experience, having never been released from those sites before. If some flock members have much more experience than others, for example migratory flocks with a mix of ages, then experience is probably a larger determiner of leadership.
“Another consideration is that in v-shaped flocks, flying in front is more energetically costly, so birds such as pelicans, ibises, and geese might have different patterns of leadership for that reason.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | May 5, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
CARLSBAD — Flocks of feral pigeons have prompted the Carlsbad City Council to set a date on Jan. 12 to hear a new ordinance that would allow the city to eradicate the problem.
Introduced at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, the ordinance would prohibit the feeding and harboring of feral pigeons, and includes a section that defines pigeon-proofing.
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said in an emailed statement that the city has received continuous complaints about large flocks of pigeons all across the city.
If this new ordinance were to be adopted then it would allow the city to reduce the feral pigeon population in the city.
Because pigeons not only cause damage to buildings and ventilation systems, but also can carry harmful diseases, the ordinance has some merit.
City officials said that pigeons carry many diseases, particularly found in their droppings, and they pose the risk of carrying fungus such as Histoplasmosis or the fungus Cryptococcis.
“Psittacosis is a rare bacteria, and pigeons may also carry mites and parasites,” a city news release said. “Pigeon droppings are (also) acidic and can damage buildings.”
Officials also cited sanitary concerns as another reason to introduce the ordinance.
Environmental Services Superintendent Richard Aguilar said that the large population of pigeons has not been an issue in Carlsbad until recently.
“Within the last two years, the population has doubled or tripled, due to the feeding,” Aguilar said in an email. “My understanding is one pigeon couple can result in a population of a few thousand after a few years.”
According to the city council agenda, “the most efficient long-term methods to control excess feral pigeon populations is to limit their access to food, shelter and nesting materials.”
The ordinance would define “feeding” as providing food to pigeons, meaning that any person intentionally feeding pigeons on public or private property would be in violation of the ordinance.We’re not trying to stop people from putting out a bird feeder, what we’re stopping is the excessive feeding that is causing this problem,” Aguilar said.
Janway said the ordinance will heard by the city council during the Jan.12 meeting and the council will then be able to vote on whether to adopt the ordinance.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Apr 30, 2016 | Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
In the first case of its kind in North Wales, Brenda Hawkins was fined by a council for feeding the birds too much
Harold and Diane Fredman from Rhos on Sea praised council for prosecuting their neighbour over bird feeding
A family whose neighbour fed birds so much it caused a nuisance, said the garden was like a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds.
Brenda Hawkins regularly left food out for small birds but pigeons and seagulls swooped in to her enclosed Rhos on Sea gareen.
Conwy County Borough Council prosecuted her on Friday for breaching a Community Protection Notice in the first case of its kind in North Wales.
Her neighbours Diane and Harold Fredman own a property in Cambrian Drive that backs onto Mrs Hawkins’s garden in Brookfield Drive.
Their daughter Alex Harvey, 35, said: ”It’s like a scene from a Hitchcock horror film The Birds when huge flocks of mainly pigeons and seagulls swoop into their garden. The noise is unbelievable as they feed on her lawn.”
Read about Mrs Hawkins’s court case
Mrs Harvey, of Whitby, North Yorkshire, said: “I was frightened to bring my three-year-old daughter Olivia there.”
She added: “My parents wanted a peaceful retirement in Rhos on Sea but that has not been possible. My mum and dad like birds and are animal lovers, they have a dog.
“I think the council has done the right thing in prosecuting her as often councils come into criticism for not listening to people and this time they have listened and acted to prevent this nuisance neighbour.
“I hope now that she will heed the judgement the court has made and let people live in peace.”
Brenda Hawkins was fined for feeding birds in her own gardenBrenda Hawkins was fined for feeding birds in her own garden
Mrs Fredman, 69, also praised the council for acting.
She said: ”We are very grateful to the council. There were 100 pigeons at times and the noise from the flapping of the pigeon wings was tremendous. The noise from the seagulls was horrendous.”
Mrs Fredman, a retired personal assistant and shorthand typist, added that she is “very fond” of birds and animals,
Read about Mrs Hawkins hitting back at council
She is a member of the RSPB, RSPCA, Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and World Animal Protection.
But she insisted: “Putting that amount of food out with no consideration for neighbours is ridiculous.”
A spokeswoman for the council said: “This was the first prosecution in North Wales for breach of a Community Protection Notice.”
Mrs Hawkins, Rhos on Sea Townswomen’s Guild chairwoman, was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £409, a criminal court charge of £520 and a surcharge of £20.
She later branded her treatment “draconian”.
Use the comments section below to tell us what you think about this story.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Apr 29, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, UltraSonic Bird Control
A FORMER mayor of Derry has called for action over pigeon poop along one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
Martin Reilly has said measures need to be taken to stop pigeons dropping their “unpleasant and unsafe” deposits on unsuspecting pedestrians and cyclists using the city’s Craigavon Bridge.
A common problem in all urban areas, pigeon droppings are unsightly and can cause disease. Local authorities spend large sums of money in their attempts to control pigeon numbers. However, as the birds breed all year round, efforts are often ineffective.
Problems caused by pigeons often attract huge interest. Rufus, an American Harris Hawk, is widely known for his exploits in killing the birds over the All England Tennis Club before and during the annual Wimbledon tournament.
In other areas, other forms of culls are carried out while many authorities cover buildings with specialised anti-bird netting to prevent the pigeons from roosting and breeding.
Mr Reilly, a former SDLP mayor, said he has been contacted by people using the cycle path along the lower deck of Craigavon Bridge who are annoyed at the mess made by the birds. He said the problem had become so bad that walking and cycling along the path was unsafe.
Mr Reilly said Transport NI had suggested using netting to prevent pigeons from roosting on the bridge. He said there could also be other ways of deterring the birds such as by using particular paints to prevent them from nesting.
“I am therefore calling on these statutory agencies to work together to find an adequate solution which would encourage further use of this key walkway and cycle route,” he said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Apr 28, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, UltraSonic Bird Control
The city of New Baltimore recently celebrated the completion of three federally funded projects that aim to improve water quality in Lake St. Clair.
Walter and Mary Burke Park now boasts three new rain gardens, two electronic bird deterrents and permeable pavers, which all work to improve the quality of the stormwater runoff that enters Lake St. Clair. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the park on Oct. 21 to mark the completion of the project.
“These rain gardens and the pervious pavers above them will help improve the water quality at our beach and all of Lake St. Clair,” Mayor John Dupray said. “It will do this by reducing the pollutants that drain directly into the lake and improving soil erosion and stormwater runoff.”
Two of the new rain gardens are located near the lake front by the outdoor pavilion, and the third garden is located near the swing sets.
Rain gardens are created by digging out an area and filling it with materials that allow water to run down into the ground, such as native plants with long root systems that help infiltrate water deep into the soil. This allows the ground to absorb water slowly, rather than running into the lake without treatment.
The gardens are part of a solution to occasional beach closures at Burke Park, according to the city. Stormwater runoff is a key mechanism for contaminants to reach the beach and is considered one of the biggest sources of water pollution, according to Environmental Consulting and Technology Inc., the project engineer for the improvements.
ECT determined that stormwater runoff is a probable source of E. coli. Geese and seagull droppings also contaminate the runoff, which then makes its way to the beach.
To deter geese and seagulls from the beach area, electronic audial devices have been installed on each end of the outdoor pavilion in Walter and Mary Burke Park. The devices emit bird distress cries to discourage birds from landing in the area, including the boat docks.
“The bird deterrent devices should reduce the mess the gulls and Canada geese cause and improve the health and concerns of our park visitors,” Dupray said.
New Baltimore Parks and Recreation Department Director Lee Miller said the city’s goose deterrent program was extremely successful this summer, significantly reducing the amount of goose droppings in the park. Continued…“As a result of that, we only had to close the public beach once the entire summer,” Miller said. “In years past, we would have to close the beach on an average three to four times, but this year, our lake water was extremely clean.”
In addition, the newly installed permeable brick pavers at the entrance to the park also work to improve water quality by allowing water to enter the soil while still providing a solid and stable walking surface. The former impervious surfaces at the entrance to the park did not absorb water, potentially allowing runoff water to carry pollutants directly into the lake.
“I think the three projects that were completed in the park have turned out very well,” Miller said. “The brick pavers at the main park entrance look great, and we are very excited to see the rain gardens grow and bloom into beautiful landscaping.”
Miller said he thinks the city’s efforts will not only benefit the nearly 1,000 people who visit the beach each weekend during the summer, but also the environment and the wildlife that lives in it.
“Lake St. Clair has an extremely vibrant eco-system with a wide variety of fish populations,” he said, “and we believe that our efforts will play a part in keeping Anchor Bay environmentally healthy.”
The projects were completed with a roughly $260,000 grant obtained through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The work was overseen by the Macomb County Office of Public Works and was completed by Tom Ward & Sons Inc. of Casco Township, Dupray said.
“I am very pleased with the quality of the work and the end results,” he said. “We were certainly fortunate to receive this federal grant and to have Macomb County Public Works Department oversee the construction, all at no cost to our residents.”
Construction took about a month and a half to complete. The popular dahlia garden is expected to return to the park next spring.
“The Koenig family has been patient through the construction and will be back with the city’s adopted flower for all to enjoy,” Dupray said.
The amount of park space was also temporarily reduced during construction due to fencing placed around the gardens. The parks and rec department worked to alleviate inconvenience by offering “construction refunds” to pavilion renters as well as an opportunity to cancel with a full refund, Miller said. Continued…“There were many pieces to the puzzle for this project, and with that being considered, I think everything went very well,” he said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
