Thanks to everyone for the reponses. Even the Chatsworth idea got
consideration, but had to be abandoned because of planning regs.

Lucy

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 23:25:31 +0100, "David Hill"
wrote:

"...........Does anyone know of a way of stabilising the bark? ....."
Don't bother.....
Just take 4 and 20 of the birds, bake in a pie.
If the birds begin to sing when the pie is open then the oven wasn't hot
enough.....

.... and watch out for your nose, if you are hanging out the clothes.
--
Martin

"Lucy" wrote in message
...

"Clanger" wrote in message
...
what about a plastic cat :-) like the plastic hawk but more cat shaped.

dont string it up either, sit it under the bushes.

clanger
Worth try. A sparrowhawk would give our cat the screaming abdabs - she
is
even wary of the blackbirds...

"Lucy" wrote in message
...
I underlaid a large Pyracantha with bark with the idea that fallen
dead
leaves would not show up as much as with gravel. It is working up to a
point, but the blackbirds are throwing it all over the adjacent paving
as
they search for insects. As they start at dawn and continue on and
off
until dusk, it is hard to keep up with them. Does anyone know of a way
of
stabilising the bark?
Lucy

If I may be a pedantic old bo
Lucy, did you muck about with adding or subtracting attribution marks?
( "" and suchlike?)
The last post from you looked as if you did.
Please, never tough them and make sure you put your contribution on a new
line, clear of attribution marks.

Franz

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 19:47:00 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

~
~"jane" wrote in message
...
~ On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:22:40 +0100, "Lucy" wrote:
~
~ ~I underlaid a large Pyracantha with bark with the idea that fallen dead
~ ~leaves would not show up as much as with gravel. It is working up to a
~ ~point, but the blackbirds are throwing it all over the adjacent paving as
~ ~they search for insects. As they start at dawn and continue on and off
~ ~until dusk, it is hard to keep up with them. Does anyone know of a way of
~ ~stabilising the bark?
~ ~Lucy
~ ~
~ ~
~ black (coloured) bird netting?
~
~That is very bad. You might get blackbirds and thrushed caught up in them.
~The truth is that there is no so;ution for the problem of birds throwing
~mulches around. It is just one of the features of gardening.

I *did* wonder about them getting caught before suggesting it, but then
thought why do they sell it as netting to keep birds off fruit - so they
must be able to get free. Hence the suggestion had a ? in it.

I've never found a bird caught apart from one that got under some very fine
green plastic mesh while scrumping next door's gooseberries, and even that
got out fast when it heard me coming...




--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 16:48:05 +0100, "Lucy" wrote:

~Are onmaps all the preceding stuff? If so, sorry about my last reply! I am a
~bit new to newsgroups.
~Lucy
~
~
If you reply direct to me and not the group, you'll see in my email address
the made-up word onmaps, which is no spam backwards (with the words in the
right order). You need to edit the addy to get it to work. Never put your
real address in a header or posting (and heaven forbid a snail addy!) as it
just means you'll get snowed under in spam.

Just my weird antispam measure. Lots of folk have them to stop harvestng of
email addys by spambots: some are very clever and funny. Likewise for
posting signatures: there are some beauts in this group!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

in article , jane at
wrote on 15/10/03 11:03 pm:

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 19:47:00 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

~
~"jane" wrote in message
...
~ On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:22:40 +0100, "Lucy" wrote:
~
~ ~I underlaid a large Pyracantha with bark with the idea that fallen dead
~ ~leaves would not show up as much as with gravel. It is working up to a
~ ~point, but the blackbirds are throwing it all over the adjacent paving as
~ ~they search for insects. As they start at dawn and continue on and off
~ ~until dusk, it is hard to keep up with them. Does anyone know of a way of
~ ~stabilising the bark?
~ ~Lucy
~ ~
~ ~
~ black (coloured) bird netting?
~
~That is very bad. You might get blackbirds and thrushed caught up in them.
~The truth is that there is no so;ution for the problem of birds throwing
~mulches around. It is just one of the features of gardening.

I *did* wonder about them getting caught before suggesting it, but then
thought why do they sell it as netting to keep birds off fruit - so they
must be able to get free. Hence the suggestion had a ? in it.

I've never found a bird caught apart from one that got under some very fine
green plastic mesh while scrumping next door's gooseberries, and even that
got out fast when it heard me coming...



Not being a black bird, I can't speak for them but birds that land on the
ground haven't seen the mesh in the same way as birds see it, stretched out
over e.g. fruit cages. I have seen a sparrowhawk in our own garden, perched
on top of the dovecote peering at the doves inside the netting. I've seen
another (or maybe the same) sparrowhawk, on the ground entangled in the
netting.

--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 17:53:51 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

~in article , jane at
wrote on 14/10/03 3:54 pm:
~
~ On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:22:40 +0100, "Lucy" wrote:
~
~ ~I underlaid a large Pyracantha with bark with the idea that fallen dead
~ ~leaves would not show up as much as with gravel. It is working up to a
~ ~point, but the blackbirds are throwing it all over the adjacent paving as
~ ~they search for insects. As they start at dawn and continue on and off
~ ~until dusk, it is hard to keep up with them. Does anyone know of a way of
~ ~stabilising the bark?
~ ~Lucy
~ ~
~ ~
~ black (coloured) bird netting?
~
~I'm sorry to be contentious but what would that achieve other than trapped
~birds?

See my answer above for qualification - it is sold as bird netting after
all, and nobody seems to think about this when discussing fruit cages etc.

~I'd prefer to have all kinds of crap thrown all over our garden to ensure
~the blackbirds and all other kinds of birds keep coming to it. For a start,
~they're eating insects that some people will next year have to spray to
~kill, for a second they are doing what comes naturally and it is we, who
~have a passion for immaculate gardens and squared away, hospital-corner
~flower beds who are metaphorically treading on their toes.
~Leave the birds alone and be glad to have them - all too many are now
~disappearing.

I mowed the lawn and did the rake-over of parts of it on Sunday. While
taking a breather I realised I'd got a robin sitting on the bench opposite.
Immaculate feathers (after the last time I saw it, where it looked like it
had been through a tumble drier). It hopped onto the lawn, grabbed and ate
a tiny green caterpillar and hopped back up to the bench. Repeated this for
some 10 minutes, including sitting on the mower handle, giving me several
patches of extra nitrogen and helping with yet more pest control.

Made it a magical moment. I was about 6' away, wishing the camera was
outside...

This is the first year I've avoided slug pellets in the garden as well as
the allotment, and I'm convinced the wildlife is doing better already.

Must put some new fatballs out this week. The bluetits go through them like
motorised beaks...


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:171086

On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 23:20:19 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

~in article , jane at
wrote on 15/10/03 11:03 pm:
~
~ On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 19:47:00 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
~ wrote:
~
~ ~
~ ~"jane" wrote in message
~ ...
~ ~ On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:22:40 +0100, "Lucy" wrote:
~ ~
~ ~ ~I underlaid a large Pyracantha with bark with the idea that fallen dead
~ ~ ~leaves would not show up as much as with gravel. It is working up to a
~ ~ ~point, but the blackbirds are throwing it all over the adjacent paving as
~ ~ ~they search for insects. As they start at dawn and continue on and off
~ ~ ~until dusk, it is hard to keep up with them. Does anyone know of a way of
~ ~ ~stabilising the bark?
~ ~ ~Lucy
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
~ ~ black (coloured) bird netting?
~ ~
~ ~That is very bad. You might get blackbirds and thrushed caught up in them.
~ ~The truth is that there is no so;ution for the problem of birds throwing
~ ~mulches around. It is just one of the features of gardening.
~
~ I *did* wonder about them getting caught before suggesting it, but then
~ thought why do they sell it as netting to keep birds off fruit - so they
~ must be able to get free. Hence the suggestion had a ? in it.
~
~ I've never found a bird caught apart from one that got under some very fine
~ green plastic mesh while scrumping next door's gooseberries, and even that
~ got out fast when it heard me coming...
~
~
~
~Not being a black bird, I can't speak for them but birds that land on the
~ground haven't seen the mesh in the same way as birds see it, stretched out
~over e.g. fruit cages. I have seen a sparrowhawk in our own garden, perched
~on top of the dovecote peering at the doves inside the netting. I've seen
~another (or maybe the same) sparrowhawk, on the ground entangled in the
~netting.

True - in that case I could perhaps refine the suggestion. If it's not too
big a patch of bark, perhaps chickenwire sprayed a dark colour might work
as they couldn't get tangled up in it. I'm just trying to come up with an
answer to the question. I have a lot of rigid plastic garden mesh and the
like on bare soil about the place, but that's to stop excavations by the
local c*ts and birds definitely don't get caught in that.

For that matter, the vertical stick method of keeping off the c*ts also
might work for keeping off blackbirds if the sticks are close enough, but I
suspect it would look rather odd!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

"jane" wrote in message
...

[snip]

I *did* wonder about them getting caught before suggesting it, but then
thought why do they sell it as netting to keep birds off fruit - so they
must be able to get free. Hence the suggestion had a ? in it.

I've never found a bird caught apart from one that got under some very
fine
green plastic mesh while scrumping next door's gooseberries, and even that
got out fast when it heard me coming...

....To do some scrumping yourself?

Franz

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 07:44:48 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

~
~"jane" wrote in message
...
~
~[snip]
~
~ I *did* wonder about them getting caught before suggesting it, but then
~ thought why do they sell it as netting to keep birds off fruit - so they
~ must be able to get free. Hence the suggestion had a ? in it.
~
~ I've never found a bird caught apart from one that got under some very
~fine
~ green plastic mesh while scrumping next door's gooseberries, and even that
~ got out fast when it heard me coming...
~
~...To do some scrumping yourself?

:-P

Have my own goosegogs thanks, and they weren't netted, and the darn
birdies got the lot this year. I was Not Pleased. Last year I got
25lbs... Then again last year I lost all my blackcurrants to said
wretched birds, and this year I had loads.

You win some, you lose some.

The trick is to grow plenty for both yourself and the feathered ones.
(Though I draw the line at feeding the ruddy woodpigeons and net all
my brassicas! Wish a peregrine would take up residence, I really
do...)

I'm currently hoping that the nestbox I've put up in the Bramley will
get me more feathered pesteaters for next year. Bluetit chicks eat a
*phenomenal* amount.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

The message
from (jane) contains these words:

I'm currently hoping that the nestbox I've put up in the Bramley will
get me more feathered pesteaters for next year. Bluetit chicks eat a
*phenomenal* amount.

Glad to hear another gardener has discovered the easy way to regulate
insect life and slugs :-)

In case you or anyone else isn't aware, it makes a big difference to
the success of nest boxes, if you build and site them according to the
preferences of the species you want to attract. Most are picky about the
height, aspect, shape, and entrancehole size, for example.
The RSPB has a good leaflet available or there are useful books in libraries.

Janet.

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 10:46:51 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

~The message
~from (jane) contains these words:
~
~ I'm currently hoping that the nestbox I've put up in the Bramley will
~ get me more feathered pesteaters for next year. Bluetit chicks eat a
~ *phenomenal* amount.
~
~ Glad to hear another gardener has discovered the easy way to regulate
~insect life and slugs :-)
~
~ In case you or anyone else isn't aware, it makes a big difference to
~the success of nest boxes, if you build and site them according to the
~preferences of the species you want to attract. Most are picky about the
~height, aspect, shape, and entrancehole size, for example.
~The RSPB has a good leaflet available or there are useful books in libraries.

Yes, thanks. I was very careful about the siting of the one in the
tree, positioning it facing away from the prevailing wind direction
(well I can't say I'd like a draughty bedroom!) and I know the hole's
in the right size range. If it's big enough for sparrows, no problem,
since they are doing a great deal worse these days than the tueblits.
It's a bit on the low side, due to the tree's crown height, but the
rest is ok.

I used
http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/whaty...ng_nestbox.asp

After I manage to prune the eater I may add a robin box as it's a
lower tree and more covered with surrounding fruit bushes. And when
the apples lose their leaves I may well put up a feeder as well. It's
in the middle of the allotments so shouldn't be too easy for any local
feral c*ts to find.

"jane" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 23:20:19 +0100, Sacha ~netting.

True - in that case I could perhaps refine the suggestion. If it's not too
big a patch of bark, perhaps chickenwire sprayed a dark colour might work
as they couldn't get tangled up in it. I'm just trying to come up with an
answer to the question. I have a lot of rigid plastic garden mesh and the
like on bare soil about the place, but that's to stop excavations by the
local c*ts and birds definitely don't get caught in that.

For that matter, the vertical stick method of keeping off the c*ts also
might work for keeping off blackbirds if the sticks are close enough, but
I
suspect it would look rather odd!

Try putting a suspended mirror nearby, or drill a small hole in one edge of
an unwanted CD, and hang it up with black thread. As the sun catches it, it
will send flashes of light running across the ground which birds think is
some kind of predator and fly away.