AS Attacked by Birds!

[FLYNCLD]

Yesterday morning around 6am we awoke to the sound of something hitting and scratching against the outside of our Flying Cloud. It sounded a bit like squirrels, but after it kept up for sometime I thought I could hear the flapping of wings as well. It became quite vigorous after awhile and we finally got up but when we looked outside what ever was causing all the raucous was gone. We left for the day, but when we came back in the afternoon, we saw that there was a female cardinal flying at the side of the trailer. It took off when we arrived, but shortly thereafter returned and began once again to attack the side of the trailer.

We watched it through the window for awhile and soon realized that it was seeing its reflection in the shiny aluminum and attacking it viciously! It was soon joined by its mate, and they both kept up the attack for over several hours, sometimes taking off for awhile, but always returning until it got dark. This morning at first light, they were back, and well rested they resumed a full scale battle. From what we can figure, the female, seeing a rival female in the reflection will not quite until she drives it off. The male seems kind of bored, but pitches in every once in awhile to keep her happy! So far she has been at it for a couple of hours this morning, landing in the tree, staring angrily at here reflection, and attacking it with beak and claws!

Not sure how to stop her and it is getting a bit old. May try throwing a tarp over that part of the trailer (she only attacks one spot) and see what happens. Anybody else had this experience??

FLYNCLD

[Becky B.]

I had a robin attacking mine one year. I had to polish that area over, since she scratched it all up with her beak! They seem to do that to my windows every year. Thus the saying "birdbrain" I guess!

[FLYNCLD]

I am afraid she may scratch it up indeed!

[modarch]

I also have a cardinal attacking my newly polished airstream. It is getting very frustrating. I have only seen a male doing it, and he has about 4 different spots that he loves to attack.

Cardinals are crazy birds. When I was a kid we had a male that would attack one of the windows in our house and he did this for at least a solid 6 months. The only way we could get him to stop was to put my brother's movie poster of Indiana Jones that had a really large head shot of Harrison Ford in the window.

So I think the options are Indiana Jones, a scare crow or a pellet gun

[RickDavis]

It must be a cardinal thing. We were under attack every morning at one of the campgrounds we stayed at in FL this year

[mojo]

We had a Townsend Solitaire (like a mockingbird) attacking our trailer last fall. Apparently they are very territorial and did not like his own reflection in the trailer. It was harmless except for all the bird poop he was depositing on the propane tank cover where he hung out.

[centennialman]

Uh oh...not a good thing. Instead of a Harrison Ford poster....maybe find one of Tippi Hedron and put it up on the side of the Airstream

Seriously though, you may want to cover up the part the birds are attacking for a while so that they don't damage the finish on your trailer.

[pmclemore]

This should be a temporary problem. This, too, shall pass.

Pat

[Jim Foster]

Our Caravel has had the same problem with birds. They left small dents, like a BB. We went to Walmart and got a plastic Owl which we mount on a post. Stopped the birds.

[FLYNCLD]

5:30 AM this morning and they are back! Anybody got a good recipe for Cardinal Stew?!

[CanoeStream]

I've got a tarragon cream recipe I could share that is especially good with whooping crane.

Find a bird supply store near you. I'm sure they have some of the holographic scare tape to hang from nearby limbs. Maybe even strips of aluminum foil? Or CDs hung from limbs (Barry Manilow especially effective). Or a falcon outline. Rubber snakes on the side of your FC on a thread tied to a vent or TV antenna.

[CanoeStream]

Print & cut this out -- http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/r...birdshadow.gif

I especially love the spider -- Wild Bird Center Boulder CO - Bird Detractors -- can't guess if it works.

[pmclemore]

I second Jim Foster's motion - try an owl decoy.

Good luck = Pat

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

I had a robin attacking mine one year. I had to polish that area over, since she scratched it all up with her beak! They seem to do that to my windows every year. Thus the saying "birdbrain" I guess!

Just imagine what this peacock could do to your finish!

[CanoeStream]

Lucky it's not a pileated. I've had these guys slamming at their reflections in my windows at 5:30 on summer mornings. He could buck rivets for ya!

[richinny]

could the trailer be reflecting up at their nest? if so, maybe a slight change in the trailer position would make the crazy bird happy. "honest honey, i have no idea who that female bird is!" said daddy bird. ;-)

[Babeebloos]

We've been trying to get rid of a male cardinal that would attack one of three windows at our house. He's been here for over 2.5 years! Nothing would deter him, he would just move to another window for awhile. I was thinking that he was 'addicted' to the numbness of banging his beak/head against the windows as it didn't seem to be a vicious type of attack, just a regular and constant thud.
Recently we put a blow up owl hanging on a branch in the favorite tree he hung out in, and he hasn't returned there, so it must work... however that doesn't explain why he isn't attacking the other two windows! How long do they live? Maybe he passed away? from fright!!!

[FLYNCLD]

Eight days later they are still at it, but with less enthusiasm! Attacks are shorter and less aggressive. Hopefully they will just tire of it. Haven't had a chance to try any of the suggestions yet, but if it keeps up I am thinking of hanging a picture of
Inland Andy in the window!

[DaveFL]

Living room windows were being attacked so I set up a plasitic mirror, slowly moved it to the ground and away from window. Didn't stop bird but at least it wasn't crashing into the window;-)

[fotochop]

..unfortunately you'll have to remove all that polish and bring back the original "patina" ;-)