I'm pleased to say that after over a month of wrapping the papaya with that ground cover material, the birds have left Art's prize fruit alone. We're now getting very good fruit, untouched by pecking beaks and the birds have lost their ready dessert supply.
However, because our neighbor feeds the pigeons and ALL the other birds by throwing bread pieces, etc. out onto the road, the birds from miles around hover close by waiting for the next hand out. I'll bet they're coming all the way from the Big Island!
The problem here is that they are sitting on our roof where they get a direct line of view to our neighbor when he comes out to feed them. Not only are the birds sitting on the edge of the roof but they are walking all over Art's solar panels. And you KNOW what they're doing after they eat all that food! Yup! Their poop is reducing the effectiveness of the solar panels and I refuse to let Art up there to clean it up.
I took this photo of the bird on our 2nd floor roof gutter from the ground. When I blew it up on the computer, I could see he was looking directly at me. If you click on the photo you can see the expression on this bird's face. Is that the look of revenge?
I knew it must be about Papayas when i saw the post title on my side bar ....now over to the post.
ReplyDeleteLolz .... yes ,it does look like that.Be careful ,we don't want another accident Kay :)
ReplyDeleteThat bird knows it has gotten back at you. I had not thought about birds and solar panels. Think I might have a friendly discussion with your neighbor. I am certain he has no idea that his generosity is causing damage. He just thinks he is helping the birds. Maybe he could feed them somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
kind of evil looking,, too bad about the solar panels,, would a spray hose clean it?
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of bird is that? A big one, that's for sure, that must leave behind quite a bit of poop!
ReplyDeleteI like solar panels but no longer have them. I got in on the concept at the beginning when solar radiation was the big thing. You could buy solar collectors which were large 2 by 3 feet cardboard boxes. Painted black with a transparent covering and a hole with a dryer vent hose that ran into a room. It had two of these and one had a motor that sucked the heated air into the room from the collector box mounted on an angle on the front of the house. It worked by the fan technology was awful. It was so loud that I eventually took the whole thing down, plastered the wall holes and bricked-in the holes in the bricks. So much for that...
ReplyDeleteI would not want to have that bird mad at me.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are getting your papayas now.
Argh!!!! I have faith that Art will find a solution!!!
ReplyDeletehe looks well fed! I've heard it's not good to feed wildlife as they forget how to fend for themselves naturally. Maybe you can hire people to clean the roof, much safer!
ReplyDeleteoops, yup even dirt could hinder the effectiveness of those panels. The thought crossed my mind and why SunRun prepaid electricity seemed the way to go for us in dusty Waianae. No maintenance issues, not even cleaning the panels. Per our contract, the output per kwh is guaranteed so we don't have to worry about anything except paying $16/mo to HECO. Well good in theory at least, we'll soon find out, installation is set for Aug/Sept. Just noticed that our street is at 15% solar cap.
ReplyDeleteI think you should bring this up with your neighbor....I don't think he realizes the big problem he has created for you.
L.
maybe you should buy or make a sling shot. Those birds are great targets.
ReplyDelete"from miles around" .... that's right. We had somebody who use to drive to a empty lot nearby here, and as her car got near, the pigeons would follow her car. Sort like an aerial escort. However, there are official "feeders" who spice the bird seed with something in it that makes the pigeons impotent.
ReplyDeleteI agree his eyes do look beady...;lol!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mess with this guy.
ReplyDeleteI enlarged the photo, and I think the bird's expression is hilarious. I don't know about vengeful, however. LOL
ReplyDelete-- K
Our neighbor also feeds (purchased bird seeds) hundreds of pigoens, doves and those little gray finches and they are messy and smelly. Isn't it a health hazard?
ReplyDeleteIs there anyway u can talk to the neighbor? explain that the results of the feeding affect the solar panels? If I were your neighbor I would cease the feeding... Hopefully this person is reasonable...
ReplyDeleteLOL! Maybe it is. :)
ReplyDeleteCouldn´t you ask your neighbor to stop feeding them? And explain why.
I wouldn´t let my hubs up there either.
That bird does seem to have an attitude.
ReplyDeleteWe love Bon dancing season too!
ReplyDeletePigeons - not so much.
Wonderful posts, Kay!
Aloha from Waikiki;
Comfort Spiral
> < } } ( ° >
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Actually, the birds see better to the side and not so much straight forward. When they are looking at me like your photo, I sneak up to them; when they turn their head sideways, I freeze and put up a big cardboard picture in front of me that looks like a solar collector.
ReplyDeleteWhat you managed to snap a photo of is obviously not a bird, it's the reincarnation of the spirit of one of the 47 ronin. Might be Oishi himself.
Try speaking to him in japanese next time you see him. If he feigns ignorance, chuck a slipper at him. Works for me.
your helpful cousin,
walt
PS: eh, no blame me if your roof get plenny slippas on top
ReplyDeletewalt
1. Buy some rope
ReplyDelete2. Go to Humane Society Cat House and tell them you want to borrow one or two and will return them in good condition, hardly used, well fed.
3. Tie rope around kitty's neck
4. throw da buggah up there
5. problem solved
Win-win scenario. Kitty gets fed organic food, no hormones, no additives. More importantly kitty develops into a clean cut, productive member of cat society due to his newfound inner balance and serenity derived from his now unshakable belief in his own ability to provide for himself and any future kitty litters (sorry, pun intended). He is labelled a great provider and a wonderful catch. No more slinking around at night yowling. Kay and Art get good nights' sleep.
In addition, this solution is cheap. Solar panels stay clean. Slippers don't end up on the roof.
walt
Cousin Walt: Actually, Walt, Art was thinking of going to Toys R Us and getting some Super Soaker type high powered water gun that he could stick out the window. Two problems solved. Shoo away the birds, clean the solar panels if it can reach it at the same time.
ReplyDeleteEverybody: We have a VERY hard time conceiving of going to the neighbor and telling him anything because he obviously gets such enjoyment out of feeding the mobs of birds waiting in front of his house and along the street. Hmmmm.... I'm noticing he doesn't throw the bread crumbs, etc. on his yard near his house. He throws it toward the street instead. Ah well...
ReplyDeleteThat bird does look like he's giving you the evil eye Kay. That's a tricky situation with your neighbor. Not good to have so many birds on your solar panels, especially those pigeons. Look at Trafalgar Square in London :)
ReplyDeleteOh, geez. Never in a million years would I have guessed that birds can interfere with the effectiveness of solar panels.! Good grief. I like Art's water gun idea. Go for it! Put a little ammonia in that water gun....
ReplyDeletePeter Lorre? Is that you???
ReplyDeleteThat is one tough looking bird. Kind of an avian mobster. Our big nuisance right now is rats. In the attic, on the roof. We got two of them but there is at least one more still at large.
ReplyDeleteThe birds don't bother our solar panels, because they have plenty of other places to hang out. And besides, the good hard Hilo rains help to keep the panels clean.
Yes, I do think he has a revengeful look on his face. These birds can be such pest. I would be very upset with them sitting on my house and making a mess on the solar panels. This bird looks plenty fat and doesn't need to be fed any more food.
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot! Okay, hire the guys who installed the panels to clean them. It's probably not illegal to feed the birds, but it's probably illegal to sling-shot them. Posing a health hazard might be one way for the feeding practice to be stopped. Hurry and get the papayas...that's what the bird's evil eye wants! Would a boring Kansas approach work?: buy a bird feeder and seeds, and place it away from your roof (or right next to the neighbor's property?) Bird Wars! DrumMajor
ReplyDelete