What a crazy experience. I've lived here for 30 years .... my cars have been here .... in the car port and driveway ... and we've NEVER had such a case of "Bird Terrorism" as with this one psyco Robin.

There's been two stories running together here. One - that of the crazy Robin. Two - that of Gary trying to use an old stock Crossman 1377 to get rid of the pest. The thing that really has caused the story to keep legs ... is this: As I've tried to get the bird, it's become more and more "alert". At the same time, I've made three seperate attempts to "upgrade" the old gun to the task. It was hoped that, at some point, the lines on the chart would converge!



Here's the crazy bird's chosen nesting area. Up on a beam, inside my carport .... beside the flouresent light ... about 3 feet away from the Dove's nest - on the beam right. The Dove has raised several families there. Never any trouble. No mess. No fuss. And, she tolerates us talking to her - snapping the occasional pic. Fun.

The Demon bird, on the other hand ... has demanded that all of the cars be removed from the driveway, and car port. She sits and pecks on my car's mirror, so loud that I can hear it in the shop - with the radio on! She's crapped wheelbarrows down both sides of all the vehicles. Nothing will deter her.

I started out by armor plating the area around my mirror, so that I might take a shot at her. This progressed to hanging out "bait" in the nature of the strings and ribbons she was gathering to build with. The strings were tight to tthe plate (the idea being she'd linger a second more and fight for them). No deal ... she became more and more alert. I missed a few shots at her ... here and there, since I could not see the sights well, and the trigger was amazingly horrible. I just could not shoot the thing anymore. It's laid in pcs. for 15 years - I suspect.

I started by diagnosing the trouble. The main thing was the O ring around the valve body/air chamber. I took it down, honed the cyclinder, resealed, relubed, cleaned ... reinstalled. Now it worked, but the trigger was unusable. The first step was to sand and polish the top and mating surfaces. I also altered the spring some. It helped ... but like from really really horrible, to just really horrible.

I tried to use it that way. And ... next came the camo cloth ... to mask my presence at the shop window.



This netted me a shot or two at her ... from distance ... as she flitted around. That just made her more alert, and me more annoyed with the inability to mount a scope on the pistol. That situation changed late one evening. I HAD to be able to see the thing, to shoot it. I made the brass 1377 receiver, and mounted a 4X shotgun scope. At this time, I lightened the spring a bit more. It was shootable - barely. This allowed me to nail one of the Robins ... but I found it was not the Pscyo Demon Bird.

By now though, the bird was as sharp as a razor. It would bust me no matter how I try to get the scope on it. I'd be peeking around the edge of the camo cloth, or thru one of the holes in it, and I'd become aware that the bird was 90 degrees from where I was looking ... hunched down ... and had a laser beed on me!!! It was uncanny I tell you. Literally like the Gamekeeper in Jurasic Park ... where he found the Veloci-Raptor was hunting him!!

I now escalated the bait ... and tossed in the dead bird as a decoy too! I'd become desperate.

You see Kelly's rubber snakes - an attempt at warning the bird off. The "less than lethal" approach. Never works. The darned bird was still hammering the cars, scratching the paint with endless digging with it's claws, and crapping buckets on the cars. We had to hose the things off each and every time we went anywhere. You literally could not see out off the windows from the greasy/waxy mess on the glass, and the crap all down the sides. Everybody mentioned it, whenever they saw one of our cars. "Oh ... parked under a tree ... did ya?" "Oh ... missing your car port that the blizzard collapsed ... are ya?" ... HarrHarrhar.



Look at the window glass in this picture? And, the sill of the door paint, has just as many of these marks in/on it. I'll have to polish it, to see the extent of the scrathing. You've screwed with me enough now bird! I crossed the line into "gross and disgusting" ... if it might get me a shot at the thing!

And ... it didn't. That darned bird knew where I was every second. I'd work, and think to go check to see if the bird was around. I left the gun laying charged and loaded, at the window area (door locked - only me around). I'd approach ... even turning off lights that would "back light" me. Approach the camo cloth like a Sniper. That bird would be there, and I'd just see a flit of it's tail feathers leaving ... no matter the stealth I used.

I'd become "intrigued" at how impossibly difficult the task had become ... how insistent the bird was ... and how incredibly "Alert and sensitive" a single Robin could be. No wonder I had a poor hunting record. I know people sit in stands eating, even smoking, visible in tree stands, and bag game. I've tried many things, but have a very poor record. This simple bird was teaching me how to "HUNT".

And ... for Phase 4 ... go to the hunting section. I'll post it now. Here's the link:

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2010 03:12AM by barnespneumatic.

LMAO....look at that "SCARE TACTIC" setup.......lol. Rubber snake and dead robin body....OMG....i'm laughin to hard right now.

IN A SICK WAY, I DON'T WON'T YOU TO GET THE ROBIN JUST YET AS I'M FINDING THIS HILARIOUS!!

Between the crazy Robin and Gary, I'd bet on Gary. If he could build the World's greatest bigbore he could take down this nuisance bird with his creativity and determination he..he...

I was hoping for an .87 kill shot!

Gary,

Uh......................we need to talk. I thought the camo curtain thing was a joke.

I wondered when you'd appear with your clipboard, pencil, and pipe. ;?)

Let me hit the high spots again: Three cars doors/windows, covered in crap, scratches, and some waxy smear. All fresh - each day - despite daily washes. Bird is ON the cars when you see it. Pellets/Glass/Paint .... not a good mix. Middle of town. Only safe shot is up under the car port roof. Bird flees whenever you even THINK of approaching.

Negotiations broke down. Talks stalled. Sanctions didn't work. Rubber snakes failed ....

Lastly ... now it's your turn ... post something better.



Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2010 05:39PM by barnespneumatic.

Is this starting to remind anyone else of Caddyshack?

Got'em!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2010 05:44PM by Bigbore.

If you're enjoying this that much ...

You'll LOVE phase 4 ... hunting forum. Link above.

I have to go to work but that looks like a great read for tomorrow provided my bank hasn't failed, they haven't sold my condo out from underneath me, I've sufficiently trained the personnel at the bank who are supposed to be doing this for me or the the condo title isn't irrevocably botched. Think I'm joking? Trade you predicaments.

P.S. although the realtor is smokin' hot, she seems to be pretty sharp this time. Actually faxed the stuff right side up.

Lon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2010 06:57PM by Bigbore.

Gary,

Seriously, netting, or the use of may be the answer. Hang some like a curtain to repel the bird from landing. It won't interfere with the use of the carport while training the bird.

Thank you Lon.

Sincerely. I've needed a cool head to sort this out.

I've gone out and drapped all three cars with netting. Both sides of each. Then, I wove netting into and around every possible flat surface up under the car port's roof structure. There were 93 of them. It took awhile ... but I feel better now. I'll start the training of the bird, in the morning.

If you'd like to have a chat about lawyers and realtors, it would be fun. I have the last 3 1/2 years of non stop experiences to draw upon. (I'll toss in hearings and depositions too).

Gary

I don't care what anyone says, shot birds and smoking hot realtors are cool! This forum rocks!

Gary,

OK, I read it, you got him. Way to go!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2010 05:56AM by Bigbore.

Now I guess since we've got photos of dead birds, the smokin hot realtor MUST be next!

I'll try but I don't want to look obvious.

There is not much need for a camera anymore, the inspections have long been done.

Lon

Oh Lon,

Word of wisdom.

They hire smokin' hot realtors, in order to get some to make smokin' dumb decisions.

Free observation.

Gary

Thanks for helping me out bud. Consider your debt for the net idea paid.

Pictures without decisions will be OK.

Gary,

"They hire smokin' hot realtors, in order to get some to make smokin' dumb decisions. "

Lon ...

Looks like there might be a couple of "rentals" in there.

I'd sign up, if I were you.

Gary,

It's obvious you haven't been in the market for a while. If you look closely, the tin on some of the roofs isn't overlapped properly. My trained eye sees roof problems during the rainy season. The tarp is also a dead giveaway, association is having cash flow problems. Another important feature in any community is a high percentage of owners, you want everyone to have some skin in the game. My realtor seems to always have some skin in the game.

Not the smokin' hot realtors fault, they just sell.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2010 02:12PM by Bigbore.

Personally, I'd shy away from that particular property. If the condo association can't spring for BLUE tarp, it's a sign that they're probably skimping on the less important things too!

wow ,, i have a wee bird doing the same ,,, well it was , cut out the sillouette of a hawk and put it on the cars window ,,, worked for me.i used black sticky back plastic.