I took a blow to my ego yesterday when, leaving the Pain Cave, the friendly neighborhood homeless woman I’ve seen around so frequently that I’ve gotten to know her (62 years old, homeless 15 years, never asks me for money but will try to sell me something she’s managed to get her hands on and will occasionally ask me to buy her a beer) instead of referring to me as the ususal "mama" — "Thanks, mama …… Did you workout today, mama?" referred to me as "grandma".
What the hell, thought I. Am I starting to look my age?.
And then this morning, after finishing the latest battle with the birds, heading out to run errands, the drug dealer’s wife (they live in the complex), who always refers to me as "My Black Queen" — "Good morning, my Black Queen" referred to me as "Mama" — "Have a good day, Mama".
Two back-to-back blows to my ego. I’m crushed, LOL
The day started off with yet another battle between myself and the birds.
Around this time every year, for thirteen years of living here, I’ve successfully discouraged birds from moving into the highly desirable corner eave, which is way too close to my living space and access to the patio storage area.
I don’t mind, and rather enjoy, seeing birds visiting the patio area and frequently take photos of them relaxing on the railings.
Occasionally, a hummingbird gets curious …… flies all the way up to the patio window, looks inside, then is gone before I can grab the phone, take a pic.
What I take issue with is when the birds bring their bags, prepare to occupy the corner eave, make babies.
Sorry, but I don’t want to have to listen to the noise of the parents cooing, the kids going chirp chirp chirp, and don’t want to have to deal with cleaning up the mess they bring, so I tell them "You can’t build here. Go somewhere else" and chase them away.
But just like Red Light, they refuse to move on, and the battle begins.
After a few days of seeing fly overs, birds checking the space out, it was yesterday I caught a couple bringing in supplies.
I pulled out the holographic scare tape.
It wasn’t easy, but I managed to tie some of the tape around a pipe, hoping the tape, flying in the wind, would scare the couple off.
It didn’t.
There they were, this morning, slaving away bringing in more supplies.
Looks like the tape slipped down the structure, was not close enough to the eave to deter the build.
So, this morning, I balled up some of the holographic tape and again, not easy, but I managed to drop the ball of tape in front of the eave, hoping that, because the ball was so light, the wind didn’t blow it away.
The wind didn’t, but the birds swooped in and somehow, between them and the wind, the tape rolled away from the eave, and it was business as usual for the birds, who flew away when I repeated there was no room at this inn for them here, go elsewhere, and watched me, from across the quad, to see what I was going to try next.
What I did next was to ball up a plastic grocery bag, wrap holographic tape around it.
I managed to drop it in front of the eave.
This heavier ball is probably going to interfere with drainage, but being my last option to win this battle, it is what it is.
I did try unsuccessfully to push the balled-up materials back into the opening, to bar entry; but having no luck with that, was hoping the reflecting tape, at the front door of the home they were trying to lay claim to, would at least scare them away.
Would you believe …… it didn’t.
Scare, the holographic tape did not. However, it does look like the curve appeal is no longer quite as pleasing because, after what looked like an inspection and discussion between the two, they flew away and have not returned.
If they do decide they can live with the eyessore and come back, I give up, they win. The corner eave is theirs.
Dang Birds. My husband is good at getting rid of the nests, but I have a constant battle with idiots that crash in to my window. My house is the one with strips of aluminum foil taped on the window frames.
ReplyDeleteWhat does your husband do to get rid of the nests? Does he just tear them down? Thankfully, I've had no window crashers.
DeleteYes, he actually does a daily recon around the house and garage and pokes them down with a stick. He is retired. It gives him something to do. They seem to pick the craziest places to build, I don't know what we can do to stop them.
DeleteI can hear them in the eaves overhead where I can't reach and poke down their nests. I'll have to be satisfied with the ability to protect the corner eave that I can reach with a grabber and long pole.
DeleteAwwww their mourning doves. Think of the lovely, calming kewing you'll hear. They are pretty birds, but not the smartest crayons in the box. When a fox or red tail hawk case my garden, most of the birds make tracks and scram....the doves don't take the hint, which is why I generally find a pile of feathers, because the fox or hawk got one of them. Or Sophie.
ReplyDeleteMy money's on Sophie, LOL.
DeleteYa gonna get crows next since they like shiny things. So, birds and bird songs, or cute little gecko lizards? I can hear really loud hawk things in a nearby tree, but I can't see them. Might be a genuine American Bald Eagle telling us to fix this country. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDelete"So, birds and bird songs, or cute little gecko lizards?" LOL. I'm not a nature lover. Things that crawl, things that fly should do so away from my space.
DeleteEvery so often we get a nest at the top of one of the porch columns. We leave it be because the baby birds will be gone soon and the nest will go as well.
ReplyDeleteTheir nesting is too noisy, too messy; otherwise, would be interesting to watch.
DeleteI swear by holographic scare tape so these must be damn persistent birds! I use a bit of scotch tape to keep my tape in place on my balcony rails because yes, it does tend to slide down.
ReplyDelete"Persistent" is correct because they continued to return, even after I chased them off, and the balled-up tape didn't scare them one bit. But looks like I'm good for now.
DeleteYou could try tying some helium filled mylar balloons to the downspout by the eave -- they wouldn't block drainage and the movement would scare any birds away. Or if your complex managers would allow it, they could install a fake owl on that roof corner. Some owl decoys can even be remotely controlled to turn their head the way real owls do! Cabela's or a hunting equipment store should carry them.
ReplyDeleteManager allow or give a damn? Surely, you jest. But seems the problem has been solved. The birds did not come back after inspecting that last solution.
DeleteWhen we were doing tornado relief work there was a young Black man who refused to let me haul cases of water...because he wouldn't want his mamma doing it either. I didn't know if I should be touched or annoyed.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I know the feeling. It's nice, but a blow to the ego.
DeleteI haven't seen any birds making nests near my roof but man, they are everywhere in the palm trees that line my street. for the past 3 months the noise from the birds has been crazy. And I've seen several dead baby birds on the ground under the trees.
ReplyDeleteThat's another thing I fear if birds nest in the eave ... dead baby birds. I remember a few years ago when a fledgling, unable to fly, landed on the patio. I freaked out! Thought he'd been left to die. Fortunately, the parents came back, fed him, then took over the patio for a while before they all flew away.
DeleteWhat you need is an animotronic snake!
ReplyDeleteThat would be fun ... not for the birds, but for me to play with, LOL.
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