Could This Be The Ultimate Bird Scarer?
Friday 04 December 2009
Martin Lishman Ltd is a Preferred Partner for Agricultural Applications of Scarecrow Products, our thanks to Gavin Lishman who recently published the below press release.
Lifting pigeons off rape crops up to 2 miles away and scaring all the crows within sight were instant results of farm trials using the UK’s first solar-powered bio-acoustic bird scarer, carried out by distributors Martin Lishman. The Scarecrow Compact bird dispersal system emits distress calls recorded from pest species such as woodpigeons, carrion crows and rooks to create an environment which appears hostile to birds, but natural and inoffensive to humans. An added pest deterrent effect noticed during the trials was the attraction to the area of red kites, drawn to the sound of birds in distress and a possible meal!
he Compact has been specifically designed for use in farming and rural environments, though it started life as a bird deterrent used on airfields and landfill sites. It is completely portable, providing up to 360º all-round coverage, and automatically plays distress calls of the selected pest species at random either from dawn to dusk or 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The standard calls included are herring gull, rook, black headed gull, crow, starling and pigeon. Alternative distress calls from a library of over 60 species can also be included.
The solar-powered Compact has a strong free-standing frame that can be located easily in any part of a field or in a hedgerow. It is unobtrusive and, because the sounds emitted are natural, it often goes unnoticed by the general public in the vicinity. Although initially a higher investment, the solar-powered version is likely to pay back in just one season, when compared with the value of potential crop losses to birds. An additional benefit of sustainable solar-power energy is that there is no need for large batteries or gas bottles, though traditional mains or battery-powered versions are available.
Justin Stafford, who farms at Little Bytham, near Stamford, Lincs, was very impressed with the performance of the Compact. “We tried the crow sound in the wheat, and birds 2 miles away lifted and became agitated,” he commented. “In the rape the pigeon sound completely cleared 400 birds and they have stayed in the wood ever since. Even my neighbour’s rape was left alone!”
The Compact is available from Martin Lishman and can be viewed on their stand at LAMMA 2010. As the company’s Gavin Lishman notes; “Although many types of bird scarer exist, as an experienced ornithologist I feel there is something special about the Compact. The distress calls are totally genuine, which was wonderfully illustrated in our trials by crows responding to the Compact distress call with the same sound. The disturbance generated amongst the crows and pigeons - along the whole valley, was quite something to see.”
If you have an Agricultural enquiry please contact Martin Lishman Ltd on 01778 426600. E-Mail: sales@martinlishman.com or click here to view their website.
If you have an Urban enquiry please contact our Preferred Partner Network Pest Control on 0151 4224838 or click here to view their website.