Help! Nightbird keeping me awake.

[chaska]

There's this bird that sits in the tree outside my bedroom window and chirps all night long. It's driving me crazy. Does anybody know of anyway to get rid of it, short of getting out of bed and throwing rocks at it. Is there something I can buy?

[Burma Jones]

1. Buy a Window Fan and use it

White Noise works wonders

[chaska]

2. I wish...

I regularly use a fan. Doesn't drown out this bastard. He's loud.

[texas1928]

3. Get a rubber snake and put it in the tree.

get a few of them.

[Burma Jones]

4. I Agree with Texas1928

[Teddy_Salad]

9. I agree with new_beawr

[FizzFuzz]

5. study up on birds

and learn what species it is and what that species dislikes.

For example, owls generally hate being told they're not really very wise. And barn owls will really get tweaked if you accuse them of knowing nothing about agriculture so who do they think they are being called BARN owls.

Nightingales, of course, can't stand being taken to task for not measuring up to Florence Nightingale.

Chickadees can't stand to be called little shrimps, though at night I doubt they would pose a problem.

[Ksec]

6. Ive heard Owls will scare them away

Maybe a fake owl. My neighbor uses them in his eaves to discourage the nest builders. He swears by them.

Now where to find a fake owl????

[catzies]

7. Garden centers often have them. Popular where I am.

We have seagull problems being coastal. You see lots of the very realistic 3 ft. plastic great horned owls, on homes and even commercial buildings.

[Ready4Change]

13. Airports use them too.

Trying to keep brids from perching on various aircraft parts, leaving droppings, or making nests in engines which can cause major problems.

[chaska]

8. Hmmm...

I can't see the bird 'cause it's dark. The bird can't see a fake snake or owl (I thought about that one already).

I don't know what the bird is, but its call is constantly changing like a mockingbird, but I know it's not that. I'm brand new to the west coast so I'm not familiar with most of the birds here.

[SoCalProgressive]

27. That's not a good standard to go by

Just because you can't see well at night doesn't mean the bird who bothers you can't. Human beings have horrible vision, both at night and during the day. In fact we have almost the worst vision in all the animal kingdom (except of course for bats, moles, and a few other creatures).

Is an owl not a bird? It has just about the best night vision of any animal, and birds in general have good eyesight. The bird will be able see a fake owl or snake. Try that and it might work.

[grannyfran]

10. A Cat?

I've got the same problem -- either an insomniac bird twittering the night away or coyotes caroling. When the coyotes start up, my Jack Russell and my neighbors four Greyhounds join in and it's PARTY TIME!

[IconoclastIlene]

11. Whippoorwill's can keep ya up all night for sure.

I can empathize with you on this one; during a camping trip a few years ago, the cuties, the males, who were hooting for their lady loves could make a racket all night long and really keep you up.

I kept telling my husband; who in hell is having a party...I thought this was quiet time!!!!!

Why do you think this places is called Whippoorwill Campgrounds? Duh.....

[Ready4Change]

12. A crossbow wouldn't disturb your neighbors.

(bracing for the flames)

[texas1928]

14. EEEh

Shotgun, one shot, nobody heard a thing.

[Ready4Change]

19. Heheh

Houses in your neighborhood must be a lot further apart than those in my neck of the woods!

[texas1928]

20. Well a .22 with rat shot would work

and would not make any damage. plus less noise.

[Ready4Change]

24. Could hire Ninja's?

Silent, deadly. Maybe can bring you tasty meals cooked in the traditions of their ancestors as well?

[Unperson 309]

15. Simple, Easy, Nonviolent Solution!

During the day, when you are up and the bird is elsewhere, carefully climb that tree (or it it's difficult, use a ladder) and tie a stout length of clothesline to a flexible branch near where you hear the bird at night. Tie the end tightly so it'll take a bit of tugging..

Trail the other end of the line back to your bedroom window. Gently slide it under or through the screen (you can patch the hole later) and tie the inside end to something you can find easily in the dark (no, not *that*! Something not attached to you!) and all is set. leave lots of play in the line inside but keep it fairly taut between house and tree.

At night when El Beako Caruso starts his or her nightly serenade, gently pull the string taut.. a little more.... lit-tle mooooooorrrre
then LET GO! THWISSSHHH! The branches whip back and the bird thinks *something* is coming up into the tree to get it! Bye bye birdie!

You may have to repeat a few times before Cheep Thrills understands that *this* tree is *haunted*, but it'll work.

309

[chaska]

16. Thought of that one too. Great minds think alike.

Problem is, the first limbs are a good 25 feet off the ground. I thought maybe I could just throw a rope up. If I can't come up with something easier, I may try it.

[Unperson 309]

25. You Could Rent A Ladder.

Yeah, they even rent tall ladders, nowadays. or hire some kid to shinny up there!

Heeheehee!

309

Closer to 200 posts...

[Radical Activist]

17. Yes, you can buy ear plugs

they work wonders.

[DemBones DemBones]

18. You can buy recordings of owls hooting, although

you'd have to be careful using them if there are owls around since you probably don't want to attract an owl to sit in your tree and hoot all night long. (And you won't believe how they sound when they're courting! I live in the country and have heard them doing the hooty booty call back and forth for hours. )

You can find tapes of owl sounds at a birding supply store. Employees at the store might have better ideas about discouraging your nuisance singer, too. If all else fails, remember it's bound to be a self-limiting problem, turn your stero on at low volume, and wear ear plugs to bed.

[chaska]

22. Now we're gettin' somewhere.

I'll see if I can locate a birding supply store.

[DemBones DemBones]

26. Hope it helps! Be sure to tell us.

If they don't have a tape or CD of just owl calls, see if they have one that has lots of bird calls and includes an owl. You could always tape the owl's call over and over on your own tape recorder. You could also do that from a library copy so you might try calling the public library. They might have a National Geographic show all about owls that I saw on TV a month or so ago and there was a whole lot o' hootin' going on there!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. Chirp back...louder

Mockingbirds around here stake out their turf with 24 hour serenades. Try taping his song and playing it back with the volume cranked up.

[chaska]

23. Lot's of good ideas here everybody. Thanks.