Preparing for next year...

The time is about here to start prepping for next years fight. We were told we will have to try and fight the birds off for about another 3 to 5 years.

So here is the list:

Radio's - so we can communicate with the other end of the street and the ones next to us
Hook's - to tear any nest out of the trees
Horn's - the first wave of deterrents
Screamer/Blasting Caps - the next wave if they won't leave
Schedule - determine who is going to take days or nights and locations

I know all the neighbors will not participate in the fight. We had several who could not donate their time so they donated money for the screamers.

I want to be able to enjoy being outside again...

Appreciation of being able to go outside

I was standing in my backyard this morning with my dogs and looking around. I realized that this time last year the trees were full of Cattle Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Blue Heron, Green Heron, Yellow Night Crowned Heron and Black Night Crowned Heron. You could not even step outside with out a mask on the smell and ammonia levels were overwhelming. The noise from all the birds was constant. If you went out front you had better have an umbrella or you were getting pooped on. There was hand sanitizer, alcohol bottles and mask by every door. Shoes were not allowed in the house do to the hazardous waste you had to walk through in the yards.

I am so proud of my neighborhood for banning together to fight the birds this year. I am proud for my city for listening and stepping up to help the residents of the entire city this year. I feel sorry for all the individuals who are going through what we went through last year.

I keep hearing the law can't be changed with several excuses attached. What I really hear is it is too hard and we don't want to put in the time. The individuals who have been impacted by this outdated law need to ban together to get it changed.

It can and will be done...no one should suffer through what we went through last year.

Neighborhoods with the problems this year...

Here is a upscale Fort Worth Neighborhood:
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/06/09/egrets-return-to-north-texas-landing-in-fort-worth/

Here is one down by Austin:
http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/157953495.html

Here is one in San Antonio:
http://www.kens5.com/news/Migrating-birds-and-visitors-create-a-delicate-trash-cleanup-160900905.html


Unfortunatly they have no idea what they are in for the rest of the summer. The experts are saying that they are good to get rid of bugs. It is because the ammonia levels get so high it is toxic for all the bugs. They experts say they will be gone in July or August. Try more like September or October. The experts get their information from the text books. We lived with the birds and were able to see their daily activties. The birds behaviors and patterns no longer go along with the text books, they have adapted. However the laws have not adapted to the birds.

If you are one of the unfortuante individuals who had live with a rookery in your yard due to the outdated laws please help pick up the fight. The Department of Interior needs to know this is unacceptable to expect individuals to allow their property, familes and health be threatened.

Not just a North Texas Problem

Here is a neighborhood in California:
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2011/11/03/residents-can-annoy-but-not-kill-birds-invading-colusa-county/

I had been told by the experts that the problems with these birds was limited to North Texas. We would not be able to get any help in changing the laws because it impacted such a small number of individuals.

According to the article above this is not just a problem for North Texas. The laws need to be changed.

This sums up the situation well...

Here is another good article from DFW Urban Wildlife. We have driven off the birds this year and celebrated with a block party. We know we will have to do it again probably for the next few years but it is possible. We do not know where they went and hope it was not another neighborhood. The laws need to be changed and the people who can change them need to quit saying it can't be done.

http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/2012/07/02/journal/journal-chamberlain-dive-rookery-victory/

Still fighting...

Well the fight to move the birds on to somewhere else is still going on. One of the neighbors had been told it would only take 5 days. It has been way more than 5 days, heck more than 5 weeks. It is still better than the over 5 months of birds in the trees. It is kinda fun to fire off flares to scare them away. In some cases it is almost therapeutic.

We have learned a lot on what to do to scare the birds away. We have all been enjoying being outside. It has been great.

Update on the fight...

Well we seem to be winning the fight against the birds. We have had a few of the Green Heron attempt to establish nest in the neighborhood. They unfortunately did not take and eventually were taken down.

We have been hard at work since March 14th when the invasion began. It has been every morning and night to try and keep the birds out of the neighborhood. We have used everything at our disposal to legally harass them.

It is a shame what we have had to go through because of an outdated law. Once again...the birds have adapted why haven't the laws?