Fishing for Pigeons

It's that time of year again. The sun is shining, the pool water is glistening, and those stinking pigeons are coming back to bathe in the pool. They bring the sounds, the feathers, and the other things that they leave behind.

In the past I've tried

• fake snakes (which don't work and little boys sometimes take home)
• fake owl (which is just a nice perch for the pigeons)
• reflective tape hangers (which also reflect in my eyes)

A few years ago, I realized that I didn't have to scare them when they land. I just had to scare them from ever making the attempt in the first place.

Each Summer I hang some fishing line around the pool. It's high up in the air. It connects from tree to roof and back to another tree.

This year I bought some strong 80lb strength line so it wouldn't break in the wind. You can see it reflect if the angle of the sun is right.

Our new camera system can detect animals. According to the footage, the bird count went from 68 flying pool drinkers to just 7 the next day.

It turns out that despite there being plenty of room for a bird to make the flight to the pool, the slight glimmer of the fishing line is enough to make them second guess trying. It’s something small, and barely there, but unfamiliar enough to scare them away so they miss out on their bird baths and pool perching. 

It makes me wonder...

I don't mean to compare us to pigeons but some of us might have a little in common with them. What small and worthless distraction do I have in my own life that might be keeping from something great?

Anyway, happy Summer time everyone.