Kamikaze Bluetits

That would be good but there is clearly a reason for the label 'bird brain'!

They have learnt to associate the whistling with the food - like Pavlov's dogs. A pity they can't also learn to associate flying into the window glass with a headache!

It worked with me all those years ago, he is a very good whistler!

The birds seem to actually listen for him and then there is a mob at the bird table, amazing and lovely to watch.

That is so odd. (Synonymous's DH whistling to the birds)

Fortunately we have a large garden and a one acre field, Synonymous so there must be plenty of room for all our birdlife as the feeders are always full and there is evidence of nesting going on. We're surrounded by farmland with no near neighbours so that probably helps as well.

We also have a resident barn owl and the buzzards have returned so maybe our garden birds have just learned to be very careful.

The kestrel was calling very loudly all afternoon so we're wondering if there might be the possibility of a mate in the area.

Merlot DH reckons we need to borrow your kestrel as it might be the only frightener/cure for our 'Chumptie Chaffinch' - but perhaps not. I hope he (CC) has a lie in tomorrow!
Do you feed your kestrel and does she frighten all the other birds? DH whistles when he feeds the birds and they all come flying in, particularly the blackbirds. He whistles 'Whenever I feel afraid' from the Sound of Music and it clearly works.

Our resident kestrel who likes to perch outside DH's workshop and watch him chopping logs. Also watches me gardening and follows me down the farm road when I'm walking the dogs by leapfrogging the electricity poles and perching on the cables.

She's quite tame and roosts in the trees at the bottom of our field and flies into the garden when we whistle.

We wondered if she might be an escapee from a raptor centre but no leg ring

Not cleaning the windows helps a bit!

We have a chaffinch flying at the window as I post this and we have tried everything we can think of but nothing works. It is driving us nuts!

I don't know why he is doing it but had a thought that perhaps it was because when dad chaffinch was telling son chaffinch about the facts of life he didn't finish it off properly after he got to the bit about 'when you see something really shiny and you fly towards it and suddenly you go bang and see stars, well, that is when you know it's love' .

Yes, clearly is driving me nuts! If anyone has found a solution please let us know!

It might be because there are birds printed on the voiles too.

Gillyknits I had exactly the same with a wood pigeon outlined in perfect detail on one of my bedroom windows.

My problem is the master bedroom runs from the back to the front of the house, east to west, with large windows on each outside wall. I think I've solved the problem with lightweight voiles that I leave closed most of the time. They let plenty of light through so it's not claustrophobic and I don't spend many daytime hours in the bedroom ....unless I'm poorly..

I am so desperate I may try the net! Now the mornings are getting lighter they are starting earlier too. I would leave the cats in the kitchen to see if them sitting on window ledge would help but they would not be impressed & anyway they ignore birds unless they are on TV! They are very brave then!

Winnie the woodpecker has been back several times . She sat around on the oak tree for a while . The juvenile has been back and dad many times. We have big windows and we think that the reflection of the trees makes them think they are flying into the woods. We've only ever had one death in 30 odd years and that was a green woodpecker. The pigeons start off with very little brain anyway so a few splats on the window doesn't seem to make much difference to their overall daft ness.

I put window stickers of cats on my Windows,that stopped them .

And don't put any bird feeders in that neck of he woods. They will defend those too. I once had seed feeders on my bedroom side and had ring collared doves at it dawn till dusk. Urghhh!!!

Craftycat a way to fix the problem is to buy a cheap bit of net and string it up on the indoors. If you can bear it. I've got a bit that I bring out when I'm desperate.

We once heard a mighty bang and rushed into the bedroom to see the ghostly outline of a barn owl on the window. The powder on his feathers had transferred to the glass, even his face! We didn't find a dead body anywhere underneath, so have to assume it wasn't hurt.
On the subject of 'things' coming into the house, if we don't block our chimney in the summer, we end up with bats flying around our bedroom. Good job I'm not scared but it takes ages for them to find the open windows to get out.

I wish I had read Jinglebellsfrocks's post BEFORE I bought the shapes.
Absolutely right- they are not only ignoring the pretty butterflies stickers which arrived this morning but also the black falcon ones that my neighbour brought round later.
It has made no difference at all.
Oh well - I give up then. They woke me up this morning & we sleep at the front & kitchen is at the back.

We have blue tits that nest twice a year in the hollow breeze blocks that our pool house is built from, you can just see about 12 open mouths making a huge racket every time you go past! It's really very sweet. They do the same in the big BBQ that is built of the same thing and a bit of a worry if we start it up not realising there are nestlings inside!

Our living area in a converted barn is on the first floor with five French windows on each side. These are kept open in summer and the house martins are always getting in and then spend hours finding a way out! By which time I am clearing up all their messes.

Love the Flathead name, from lolarabbit!

Yes. Two separate subjects in this thread now. The bluetits fighting their own reflection, for which I would NOT buy the bird shapes, and pigeons and others flying into the glass because they do not see it.

I WOULD buy the shapes for the latter, if it happened often. I have had the odd greasy pigeon shaped mark on windows but, luckily, no sign of a dead pigeon.

I did buy the kind butterfly shapes- honest!

I'll let you know if they work in a week or so.

We have a chaffinch who has been dive bombing into a downstairs window for several weeks. We had a blue tit do the same some years ago. It is very disconcerting. I am interested to hear it is hormones in the Spring! I know it will eventually stop - might try pulling blind down....

We have a bluetit (assume it's the same one) who goes frantic, pecking and flying at all the windows, at this time each year. Goes particularly mad with the car wing mirrors, so it must be reflection issue and he seems to stop after a few weeks - I assume once the mating season is over. Doesn't seem to hurt himself so we have named him Flathead and quite look forward to his return as a welcome sign of spring.

you can buy shapes of other birds- any shapes in fact and it works. Have a look at the RSPB on-line sales. Our bird feeders are close to the window near the settee where I read, watch tv and spend too much time on line - and it really does work.

Birds use to fly into the window at great force and knock themselves out- and at times died. I hope that woodpecker would be OK, but some of the brain damage caused means they won't recover and die later. Best frighten them a bit- and keep them safe. Our feeders today, near the shapes- had sparrows (both kinds) chaffinches, bramblings, goldfinches, bullfinches, a great spotted woodpecker, several kind of tits- and even some starlings ...

as said, have a look at RSPB website to see what is available.

We do have a visiting sparrow hawk or two- so they get feed too- somehow, but that is nature.