Last season it seemed my boat was the target zone for every juvenile and adult seagull for their toilet business. This year I’m fighting back with every bird scarer I can get my hands on. This year I mean business, and not that kind of business!Fed up of a filthy solar panel I am taking action this year.<\/p>\n
The above picture was taken after not visiting my boat for just 3 days.
\nThe birds are absolutely filthy beasts. And all this poop on my solar panel rendered it utterly useless for charging anything.
\nSo this year I\u2019m trying out some bird scarers. Seagulls are protected by law in the UK so we can\u2019t harm them in any way. But we can discourage them from landing in unwanted areas by using a variety of tools. I\u2019m going to come back here and add more solutions as I try them or have them recommended to me, so do check back here again soon.<\/p>\n
1\/ Rubber snake bird scarer
\nSpecifications: Rubbery, looks realistic, about 117cm long
\nReasons to buy: cheap, fun, versatile
\nReasons to avoid: if you have a nervous disposition this might give you a mild shock on a daily basis.
\nSome people swear by the snake on a boat technique. In fact multiple snakes on a boat. So this is my starting gambit.
\nActually quite good fun choosing this, I have a few others on order, different styles and \u201cbreeds\u201d, because one isn\u2019t enough.
\nIf they don\u2019t scare the birds off, it definitely gives me a daily scare the first time I see it on top of the sprayhood.<\/p>\n
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2\/The black crow bird scarer
\nSpecifications: Hard plastic, has multiple holes to run string or a hook through, removable legs
\nReasons to buy: cheap, easy to hang, adds character
\nReasons to avoid: if you\u2019ve watched Hitchcock, the Birds, you might be a bit reluctant for this
\nIf I was a bird, I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d be fooled by this, but other folks have said a crow works at keeping the gulls off.\u00a0 Crows are omnivorous, but their diet is 80% meat, so I suppose the younger gulls know to steer clear. Every horror film has a raven or a crow pecking the eyes out of some poor dead animal. so even if the gulls realise it\u2019s not real, they might take it as some sort of portent.
\nWho knows, but I\u2019ve called this one Cheryl. Because all she wants to do is have some fun.<\/p>\n
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3\/ The possessed swivel headed OWL bird scarer
\nSpecifications: Hard plastic, surface mount, head swivels like something from the exorcist movie.
\nReasons to buy: adds character, a talking point, might scare off small children if not the birds
\nReasons to avoid: you need a level surface to mount this or the head doesn\u2019t swivel so smoothly.
\nAnyone who likes wizards and wizard stories will know that owls are complex and intelligent creatures. Not this one though. This one is possessed with the spooky head bobble and swivel that makes you think it\u2019s looking at you, but then its gaze wanders off at the slightest breeze. So, it doesn\u2019t fool me, I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s fooling the gulls either. Apparently good at scaring off pigeons. It\u2019s quite a unit this, it\u2019s the real size of a large own. So make sure you have a suitable place to mount it.<\/p>\n
Check back soon for more tried and tested bird scarers
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\nThe post Looking for the Best Way to Scare Off the Seagulls from Landing and Making a Mess on My Boat? I\u2019m trying every bird scarer this year! appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last season it seemed my boat was the target zone for every juvenile and adult seagull for their toilet business. This year I’m fighting back with every bird scarer I can get my hands on. This year I mean business, … <\/p>\n