Getting rid of magpies
Discussion
FasterFreddy said:
Emsman said:
Do these work, long term? And I'm all for the squirrels and magpies being scared off by it, but what about the blackbirds, robins, finches etc.?Crows and magpies will keep well clear.
I should make it perfectly clear though, that if one violates my airspace, it's gets shot
horrible feckers
No wonder we've lost a lot of smaller birds over the last few years that's grim, poor blackbirds must have been a horrible death, esp as backbirds fight their corner 
. They're staying away from the b
d magpies that are growing in numbers. They have now started pestering another of my cats, she had 5 of them surrounding her yest poor thing she's only 3kg!
Owl decoy sounds like an idea worth trying, though they'd probably get wise very quickly that it wasn't real. What we need is for the neighbour 2 doors away to chop down the huge tree they nest in.
. They're staying away from the bd magpies that are growing in numbers. They have now started pestering another of my cats, she had 5 of them surrounding her yest poor thing she's only 3kg!Owl decoy sounds like an idea worth trying, though they'd probably get wise very quickly that it wasn't real. What we need is for the neighbour 2 doors away to chop down the huge tree they nest in.
We used to have a magpie trap, I'm sure they're still around?
tricky thing is you have to catch one to start with, but once you've got one in the trap, it will lure others in and you can ring their necks/shoot them whatever you see fit. We used to catch loads of them and it certainly helped with keeping them off your eggs etc.
ETA yes its a larsen trap we used. We also caught a fox in it one night.
tricky thing is you have to catch one to start with, but once you've got one in the trap, it will lure others in and you can ring their necks/shoot them whatever you see fit. We used to catch loads of them and it certainly helped with keeping them off your eggs etc.
Edited by okgo on Thursday 3rd June 12:16
ETA yes its a larsen trap we used. We also caught a fox in it one night.
Edited by okgo on Thursday 3rd June 12:17
becksW said:
No wonder we've lost a lot of smaller birds over the last few years that's grim, poor blackbirds must have been a horrible death, esp as backbirds fight their corner . They're staying away from the bd magpies that are growing in numbers. They have now started pestering another of my cats, she had 5 of them surrounding her yest poor thing she's only 3kg!
Owl decoy sounds like an idea worth trying, though they'd probably get wise very quickly that it wasn't real. What we need is for the neighbour 2 doors away to chop down the huge tree they nest in.
you could accidentally wrap done rat poison in some tasy meat, and accidentally leave it in the garden.. They're staying away from the bd magpies that are growing in numbers. They have now started pestering another of my cats, she had 5 of them surrounding her yest poor thing she's only 3kg!Owl decoy sounds like an idea worth trying, though they'd probably get wise very quickly that it wasn't real. What we need is for the neighbour 2 doors away to chop down the huge tree they nest in.
Just be sure to keep an eye out for dogs, cats etc.
Fresh meat won't last long with a magpie
Emsman said:
becksW said:
No wonder we've lost a lot of smaller birds over the last few years that's grim, poor blackbirds must have been a horrible death, esp as backbirds fight their corner . They're staying away from the bd magpies that are growing in numbers. They have now started pestering another of my cats, she had 5 of them surrounding her yest poor thing she's only 3kg!
Owl decoy sounds like an idea worth trying, though they'd probably get wise very quickly that it wasn't real. What we need is for the neighbour 2 doors away to chop down the huge tree they nest in.
you could accidentally wrap done rat poison in some tasy meat, and accidentally leave it in the garden.. They're staying away from the bd magpies that are growing in numbers. They have now started pestering another of my cats, she had 5 of them surrounding her yest poor thing she's only 3kg!Owl decoy sounds like an idea worth trying, though they'd probably get wise very quickly that it wasn't real. What we need is for the neighbour 2 doors away to chop down the huge tree they nest in.
Just be sure to keep an eye out for dogs, cats etc.
Fresh meat won't last long with a magpie
Not a fan of poison in this sort of environment. Owl decoy might be worth a try at £10, but I don't want to scare off the songbirds.
I recently saw one of those owl decoys mounted in a tree further up the road from me! Quite realistic in among the branches. It caught my eye because it was mounted not in a tree in the garden, but in a large birch at the side of the road. I reckon they must have had enough of the magpies too, or they've put it there to stop the birds stting on their car parked beneath it 
Edited by 911motorsport on Thursday 3rd June 12:56
Find someone with a falcon and flys it,
There are some dedicated people who fly falcons who do nice work keeping pigeons away but I have also heard that they will also scare , kill , eat crows or magpie's .
And fantastic to observe a falcon in full "I am going to eat you mode"
There are some dedicated people who fly falcons who do nice work keeping pigeons away but I have also heard that they will also scare , kill , eat crows or magpie's .
And fantastic to observe a falcon in full "I am going to eat you mode"
Edited by DPX on Thursday 3rd June 13:38
DPX said:
Find someone with a falcon and flys it,
There are some dedicated people who fly falcons who do nice work keeping pigeons away but I have also heard that they will also scare , kill , eat crows or magpie's .
And fantastic to observe a falcon in full "I am going to eat you mode"
sounds ace.There are some dedicated people who fly falcons who do nice work keeping pigeons away but I have also heard that they will also scare , kill , eat crows or magpie's .
And fantastic to observe a falcon in full "I am going to eat you mode"
Edited by DPX on Thursday 3rd June 13:38
defo the rout i'd take, love watching birds of prey!
We had the odd magpie but were plagued with woodpigeons (what do they eat as their st sets like concrete on cars, paths, garden furniture)? I managed to shoot a couple but it didn't stop the rest.
I bought and set up a decoy falcon halfway down the garden (a flying one that moves in the wind). It's been up over a month now and the pigeons have moved on. We still get the usual songbirds, finches etc., it doesn't seem to bother them.
t sets like concrete on cars, paths, garden furniture)? I managed to shoot a couple but it didn't stop the rest.I bought and set up a decoy falcon halfway down the garden (a flying one that moves in the wind). It's been up over a month now and the pigeons have moved on. We still get the usual songbirds, finches etc., it doesn't seem to bother them.
But cats are indiscriminate and kill anything they can get their claws into, including my little songbirds. In fact the neighbour's cat has learned to home in on the twittering of new born chicks in my birdbox; she sits below it for days on end waiting for the little ones that don't fly at the first attempt 
It's a wonder anything smaller than a horse survives in my back garden.
It's a wonder anything smaller than a horse survives in my back garden.
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