California is probably the only place on earth where anyone complaining about the rain is given the same treatment as an anti-masker. Boo! Hiss! Go Away. We love our rain. Particularly this year after sooo many wildfires. Unfortunately for us it also means the occasional thud against the picture window in our living room. If we’re lucky, the bird lives to chirp another day. If not, it’s a sad day.
We attempted deter the chickadees by placing hawk stencils on the window. However, apparently the average bird is smart enough to tell a stencil from a real hawk. And so my husband came up with another brilliant idea – hang pieces of yarn. The only problem is, I do not knit and neither does he. But I do save ribbons and so I scotch taped them to the window. So far, it has greatly cut down the number of FUIs (Flying Under the Influence) deaths.
And … who knows … maybe I’ll start a new home decorating trend. What do you think?
As to what is causing the high numbers of FUIs, we blame these bright red berries currently growing wildly in the backyard.
I’ve been advised by folks who know bird behavior far better than me (in particular Jet Eliot) that eating these berries does not make a bird intoxicated. Heck … I may not know birds l but I do know a drunk when I see one (even if they can still fly … which I’ve been trying in vain to do since before I could walk.)
Of course, the birds could be getting the wrong idea from Captain Mouser here. Think I should turn him around?
Now onto the strange metamorphosis of the Red Quill plant you may remember from last fall. The one that popped out of the ground resembling a giant purple penis and then grew into this beauty.
Well, here it is now. Still beautiful but in a slightly different way.
I’m looking forward to what it does next. For me, the year has finally begun.
If you want reliable information about wildlife behavior (and some spectacular photography as well), check out Jet Eliot’s amazing blog.
Saying nothing in particular 
Nice, sad, troubling, beautiful … all the bases. I once hung ribbons to deter bats. It didn’t work. Duke
Wow – bats run into windows? Yikes.
I hope the yarn works.
Thanks Dan – we still have a few FUIs but not nearly as many as before.
What a beautiful flower! I hope the ribbons work, how distressing.
Thanks J. – it’s a very interesting plant … no idea what to expect next.
Yes, I hope the ribbons keep working. And what a lovely view!
Thanks Mary!
Your Red Quill plant is a shapeshifter!
That’s a good description of it!
That is the neatest plant.
I think so!
I’ve heard it said that hanging CDs in the window also helps because birds think it’s a fire. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I guess you can always try it out if you run out of ribbon. If you’re like me, you’ll have hundreds of CDs in the house that are no longer ever played.
Yes, we do have hundreds of CDs gathering dust. Great idea. Thanks Hugh!
We have problems with birds flying into the windows too.We put up little stensils of hummingbirds and that seems to work, love the coloured ribbons though.
They say hummingbirds are pretty vicious little creatures so that makes sense. The hawk stencil didn’t seem to bother them at all!
I am surprised they work as we do not have any hummingbirds
In deepest darkest Berkshire 💜💜
Poor intoxicated birds! I do hope the ribbons deter them!
Per your comment of feeling as though the year has begun, I feel the same!
I think we’ll probably take out those bushes! Hopefully this year will be an improvement over the last!
hi JT
try old cds dangling
it works so well!
and our mailbox kept getting covered with bird droppings – horrible
and so i put out two little metallic pinwheels near the base and no more bird droppings!
the flicker keeps them away !
Good idea! I love pinwheels.
i am shocked at how well it worked – and so try to get the metallic material as it provides the flicker (like the old cds) and that flicker is supposedly what deters – i love walking to a non-pooped on mailbox – hahaha
I like your ribbons and streamers. We have robins that occasionally commit suicide when they slam into our front window above the door. Poor things. I agree that the year has finally begun. I am pleased.
I think they look better than a bunch of yarn!
Me too. Will remember this idea.
🤗🎶🐦✨
On Sat, Jan 23, 2021 at 4:32 PM Saying Nothing in Particular wrote:
> JT Twissel posted: ” California is probably the only place on earth where > anyone complaining about the rain is given the same treatment as an > anti-masker. Boo! Hiss! Go Away. We love our rain. Particularly this year > after sooo many wildfires. Unfortunately for us it also m” >