To Kill A Mockingbird?

[Suntower]

Or not?

One of those things you never consider...

My studio is in an older house. I had the roof redone a few years ago, but neglected to redo the 'chicken wire' scuppers that allows airflow under the eaves.

Unfortunately, now, each spring, a new set of birds tears into this and sets up a nest in a different spot. And the racket is really quite something--it's reaching a crescendo right now.

In fact, it's bad enough that any critical recording has ground to a halt as the tweeting/screaming from the baby birds is quite noticeable.

I've had several people round who all counsel the same thing: KILL 'EM! WALL 'EM UP! Like Edgar Allan Poe. But I noticed that none of them volunteer to do the fowl deed. And from what I've been told, you really can't move 'em.

So... I'm countin' the days. And learning a lot about bird behaviour (I can see the parents doing feedings and starting to try and coax the little SOBs out.)

And after they're gone, I'll stop being a cheap bastard and redo -all- the scuppers once and for all because, if ya don't? As that guy in Jurassic Park says: nature finds a way.

It's really not all that funny as it's costing me money. I alternate between self-loathing (not having the guts to just kill 'em) and real bird hatred (I'll go to Wal-Mart, buy a gun and kill every motherfuckin' winged creature in the neighbourhood!)

[vvv]

You've my sympathy.

A few years ago, in two different rentals, actually, I had probs with raccoons getting into the attic, and at one place, the walls.

I didn't wanna kill 'em, I just wanted to kill 'em all, as you know.

Eventually trapped 'em at the one place, and did the necessary repairs at both places, and was OK (still am at the second location).

[Suntower]

In addition to the 'Prairie Home Companion' pathetic humour of the situation, it's actually kinda interesting from an acoustics standpoint.

Ya spend all this time/money on walls and floors and trying to prevent 'transfer of energy' and so on which is of no use here.

I mean, there's no chapter on 'small animals' in Rod Gervais' book.

[radiationroom]

Find out what kind of bird houses would provide an attractive replacement to your attic space for nesting and see if there is a way to make all involved happy, including the birds. If you give the birds a nice cushy alternative to your building you just may have a permanent solution to your wildlife woes. Locate the bird houses near where they tear into your eaves so the birds take notice. Just my $0.02 FWIW YMMV

[ubertar]

Maybe there's some kind of high frequency that won't bother you but would piss 'em off enough to drive them out. Works for some bugs and rodents. Crank up a 20k sine wave to 11 and see if that affects them.

[vvv]

Or mebbe you could find the birdies' brown sound to drive 'em out (but hopefully not just shite).

[wren]

Maybe there's some kind of high frequency that won't bother you but would piss 'em off enough to drive them out. Works for some bugs and rodents. Crank up a 20k sine wave to 11 and see if that affects them.

...but BE VERY CAREFUL! That could easily toast your tweeters.

[Snarl 12/8]

Have you called your local Auduboners? (Er, Audubon Society?) We had a little bit of a bird problem last spring (not audio related) and the chick I talked to was a font of bird info. I'm sure they could give you some less than lethal options to try for peaceful coexistence.

[vvv]

... and the chick I talked to was a font of bird info.

Eh, OK.

Sometimes, a box of mothballs spilled in the area will drive critters away.

You could try 'em in the studio, also, for heavy-metal polka bands and the like ...

[Suntower]

This Just In: General Franco Still Dead!

It's now been 2 months and the little darlings are still squeaking. I contacted the WDFW and the bit... er 'officer' hinted she'd love to make my life miserable if I 'evicted' the birds at this stage. However, my Discovery Channel education continues and it seems that they are now 'fledging'... ie. going through the process of getting the boot.

So I've shifted my work schedule to late nights to work around them.

All I can think about now is how wrong I was to want to kill them. I've completely changed my attitude. What I now hope to do is be there when they take their first flight

And blast 'em with both barrels of rock salt.

SAY HELLO TO MY LEEETLE FRIEND!

[jhbrandt]

Sun,

I have a paper on my publications page that you might find helpful once you get past this. "How to find out how much Isolation you need.pdf"

There is another great document by NRC-CNRC there as well; ir761
Feel free to download any/all information you need.

Good luck with your 'leetle freends'! hehehe.

Cheers,
John