Crazed Bird Destroying House - Can Anyone Help?

Ah, the voodoo doll worked!! LOL May this whacko bird be forever gone from your neighborhood!!

That's the funniest thing I've ever seen!!! ROFL!!!! I've had mama wrens give me a fit but never titmouse. He looks very determined and even 'mad' in some of the pics.



Lin

Hoping(he's really, really gone this time)...I'm afraid to declare him officially gone. If you read back through this thread, I think I've done that atleast 5 times..."whacko" is a good adjactive for this bird.

Don't know if I mentioned this but he sings while he works. So I hear "peck, peck", "chirp,chirp", "peck,peck,peck" all day long when he's here. And I've associated that sound with the demolition of my house and the $ it will cost to restore it when he's finally through. So now when I hear soothing bird songs and/or see a pic of a Titmouse, my initial response is "Aaaahhhh!".

This message was edited Nov 19, 2005 7:49 PM

Hi, Lin, Sometimes he looks angry - like I'm the one who is bothering him. Other times he just looks very determined. Sometimes his demeanor is very much like that of a risk taking, thrill seeking, adolescent male getting a "high" out of getting over. Anyway you look at it, he has a lot of character. Although I REALLY dislike him quite strongly when he's pecking on my house, in some STRANGE way I think I may miss him when he's gone - that's miss "him", not the behavior.

Think of a happy place

Joseph, I am totally ROTFLOL!!!!


BTW, are you keeping up to date on your movie viewing? :) I'm hearing a lot of movie allusions...

This message was edited Nov 19, 2005 8:07 PM

Then again, if I had not SEEN the movie, I would not get the allusion, would I?

Yes, it is unabashedly stolen from from the script of Finding Nemo. I was really searching for a theme from the Wizard of Oz, my all time fave film, but alas, brain flame-out. Maybe Equilibrium can infuse her wit a bit. LOL!

To tell you the truth, we never see movies until they come out on video, so I am waaaaaay behind.

Joseph, I was just razzing you because I had noticed a theme with the movies. Actually, the comment was TOO, too cute. it was quite appropriate and really gave me a chuckle! I could just imagine me sitting by the window while he's working, and I'm saying to myself, "think of a happy place, think of a happy place"

Having seen a lot of movies isn't a bad thing. It makes you culturally aware...and comes in very handy if you play Trivial Pursuit.

This message was edited Nov 19, 2005 8:59 PM

Sarah is more knowledgable about birds than I, but birds use vocalizations to claim and define their territories. We weren't just being sarcastic/amusing in suggesting it! An indoor bird in a cage (something big and loud like your friend's macaw would be perfect) would be able to vocalize just fine; he would not need the run of the house. I'm guessing the effect of an "inside bird" would be better with the window open, but it's a bit chilly for that now. A little bird like a canary might be too cowed by Mr. T. to stake his verbal claim, but even little finches can be pretty fiesty and could at least make your titmouse think twice. Perhaps your friend and her macaws could come for a visit!

Better yet, perhaps Mr. T has moved on.... :-)

Sorry it took me a little while to respond. I've been a bit "under the weather". I see your point about the bird - about letting them "talk it over". Right now it's not very "do-able" for me, but it's a good point; I will remember that for future reference. Recently, I found myself using a suggestion I got from a DG member last summer. It took me a year to use it, and I applied it to a different situation, but the idea "seed" she planted grew, nonetheless.

I am HAPPY and, oddly, a bit sad, as well, to report that I have not seen Mr T for a week or so now! My house "breaths" a sigh of relief. But I almost miss the little guy...well, maybe not! I'm reluctant to call the matter closed - as I have done so too many times already, but have my fingers crossed...

Maybe the Round Robin and the voodoo doll and all the good will you guys generated worked!

Actually, my yard is oddly silent of ANY bird activity. I guess there is probably ample food in the forests this time of year, negating the need to visit my yard.

Mr. T probably is rounding up his buddies. Be afraid, be very afraid. LOL

Ok as many ppls are here - has anyone seen a "deranged" small bird heading south -
maybe towards Mexico to relax for the winter in relative warmth?

Mr. T took of with my koi eating heron. They're drinking margaritas with little parasols in them and lounging on the beach right now. Their beaks needed a break but theeeeeey'llllllllll be back.

Has anyone ever heard of "George Carlin"? On his first album, he did a bit called "the hippy dippy weather man" (forcast for tonight "dark" followed by widely intermittant light in the morning) and then he said ok "don't like the weather in your area?"

I love George Carlin. Dyson, are you suggesting he took off with Mr. T?

Nooo, just woundrin if a move is the best (eaisyist answer) - I once gave a shotgun to a bear in Alaska because it had gotten between me and it - just wasn't worth the fight.

You know i really loved that shotgun - but that was big bear.

This message was edited Nov 28, 2005 11:37 PM

Oh, NO! now we have to be afraid of a shot-gun "toting" bear when we visit VA! Like life wasn't difficult enough already.

I think the bear is still in Alaska - & I did "retrive" the gun later. (After the bear left)
Wish I never sold that gun.

Night too all

Everyone south of Charleston is probably running out to check their windows about now. lol. Warmer weather? Have you ever been to Charleston? I have the AC on! It's like 80F or something. Last year I was running the AC on New Years day. I'm just SO glad it's cooled down to 80. Now I can finally go outside again.

I love the picture of our problem birds sipping umbrella decked drinks south of the border.

Great now I have to worry about what the birds are "cooking up"; hadn't thought of that. Remember how quiet the town was in the opening of the birds? Aaahhhh! Help!

LOL :) Hopefully he'll be too drunk to remember his way back :)

Sarah

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, lol, but Titmice don't migrate. Maybe he is gathering a few feathered friends for the next assult? Or hopefully, he has given up the fight all together!

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/resources/identifications/titu/index.shtml#migration

BTW, I tried to read this thread to my husband, but he got really sick of me stopping to laugh and got his butt of the couch and read it himself. His comment: "I'd either get a bazooka or a flamethrower, either way that bird would be crispy!"

*Keeping fingers crossed that Mr T has left the building!*

My DH read this thread, too, and now everyday he asks if there has been an update. LOL

Now MG... don't be pointing out that a Titmouse doesn't migrate! Shame on you woman!

Hang diminutive chicken legs along the window like Christmas stockings along a fireplace to ward off the possessed beastie. When it returns, shake dried turkey feet at it and chant incantations.

scutler, I want you to know that I have had THE MOST fun reading this thread. I have laughed til I cried. I know it's been a horror for you, though. There is a blue jay that absolutely hates the blue jay that lives in the passenger side window of my truck. I've watched him for over half an hour jump from the side mirror to the door and peck that "other bird in the window" then back on the mirror. Back to the door, back to the mirror. Over and over. He's not hurting anything, like your titmouse, but I couldn't help but think of you when I saw him. Thanks for sharing your story and pictures.
RG

Oh, my g...he's Ba-ack!

There were 5 or more titmice in the yard the day I 1st saw him (again), but the minute I saw HIM, I knew it was him. Can't really explain it, other than his behavior is different - not afraid of me and kind of smart-alecky.

I took this photo that day in late Feb. Since then he has been hanging out in the little crepe myrtle against THE window - you know, his FAVORITE window. Just like before he gets sunflower seeds from the feeder across the yard (by the willow) and brings them to the crepe myrtle at the window to eat them. ALL of the "normal" titmice take their seeds back to the shelter of the nearby forest to eat them. I haven't seen (or heard) him damaging the window YET. But he looks longingly at the window and even flies toward it (from his perch in the crepe myrtle) and then detours at the last minute. One day I was sitting near the window when he was doing this and I was going, "no, no, no" because he just looked like he wanted to get back to work on that window SO bad.

He was back at the window today (but again stopped short of destroying things). He kept bringing his seeds over to eat them at the window. Will get a pick of him at the window soon.

Ü

Have you replaced your screens????? ;)

"Thankfully", no. It's one of those serendipitous moments when being several years behind on my todo list actually works to my benefit. ; )

But I still cringe when I see him sitting 1ft from the window and gazing longingly at his old worksite...sure don't want to get that project fired up again.

LOLOL maybe he heard your lament........

again - I think - buy a shotgun

Just an idea for the Mr TTmouse. He is attacking his reflection thinking that it is another competitor. If you spray an opaque substance on you window so it doesn't reflect, he (you know guys) will leave you alone.
I had a similar problem with a bull elk that was hanging out at the garden fence every day. He would charge me and lower his head and scrape up the ground. He would also rear on his back legs and strike at me through the fence. Now you must understand this is a herd of elk fenced in and comercially raised. Well he was with his harem and didn't want me around during the rut. I was worried he would hurt himself or the fence so I finally decided to "mark my territory" by applying recycled beer on his face. He immediatly backed up and walked away. I never had any trouble with him again. Though "April" the lead cow elk has followed me up and down the fence ever since smacking her lips in my direction. Who needs antlers?

may the schmaltz be with you!

Soferdig, are you suggesting that I drink beer and water the flowers under the window? I must say, that is one idea we didn't consider previously. : )

Last summer we went through 100+ posts trying to figure out what he wanted and how to deter him. It got pretty desperate and sometimes ridiculous. We decided it wasn't the normal reflection thing because his "beloved" window is screened and given that the occupants never wash the screens there is little chance that he could see a reflection through all that - well, at least not BEFORE he remodelled the screens.

Lilypon,

one downside of "talking" online is the ease with which ones words can be preserved and recalled and the difficulty of refuting them.

...but I didn't really mean it. I just wanted to sound like a kind and caring person...once it appeared that the danger had past.

Dyson, this being the South, I HAVE a shotgun but am thinking it would make a nasty mess of the window...(but I dreamed of it during some pretty desperate moments last summer)

I had to go look up "schmaltz". Think I'm going to need something more like the "force".

LOLOLOL I kinda had a feeling you'd be saying that! ;) Hopefully, for your sake, he's matured somewhat and will find the feathered ladies more of an attraction this year.

No don't waste the time targeting your front window. Birds don't mark areas. They only attack. I had a humming bird do the same thing to my window except he would also attack me in the garden. I still think your TT can see motion easily through the screen and is out to get the bugger. Is the TT mouse a Mr Or Mrs. If its a Mr I would by a boat horn and let it blast him out of the tree or even at the window. I carry one here in Montana when I'm in grizzley country. I'm sure a griz would stop his charge with that loud of a blast. But I haven't tested it yet.