Subject: Fw: Sparrows, grit and mortar
Date: Oct 8 22:38:10 2001
From: Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney - festuca at olywa.net
Hi folks,
Don Norman, of Norman Wildlife Consulting, asked that I post this, to see if
anyone in Tweeterdom had any ideas or suggestions.
Sounds to me kind of like a mineral need for the birds, but I've no sure
basis for such a supposition? In any event, the old-timers often used
'soft' bricks as the foundation of the brick kiln when firing bricks for a
chimney or wall or etc. When the project was finished, they would use the
unfired bricks for internal non-load-bearing walls, for out-buildings, for
the walls of root cellars, etc. Those softer bricks do deteriorate over
time, and rodents (and, apparently, birds!) can dig into them. I've
replaced such bricks with 'real', hard-fired bricks or put siding over them.
If it's the whole side of a building, I don't know what to think.
Anyhow, if anyone with helpful comments could contact Don, I'd appreciate
it. I presume the curious among us might like to see the reply on Tweeters
as well.
Thanks,
Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net
----- Original Message -----
From: <Donorman at aol.com>
To: <festuca at olywa.net>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 12:58 PM
Subject: Sparrows, grit and mortar
> Jon- can you post this for me - and have suggestions sent to me
> Don Norman
> donorman at aol.com
>
> Don: The following email comes from a friend of mine who is being plagued
by
> sparrows. Could you please offer her some suggestions as to why and how
she
> can make this go away.
> Her theory is that it is Hitchcockian-- she's a film maker who makes
very
> Hitchcockian films and thinks this is his revenge.
> **********************************************************
> as i was telling you, i am plagued by flocks of sparrows (possible the
same
> flock?) that constantly come to my courtyard and use it like a club med.
> they arrived about a year ago...or at least that's when i started noticing
> them en masse. they come and play in my gutters and fountain on and off
all
> day long. they eat whatever it is that they find between the bricks of my
> courtyard. they rest in my trees. they used to be cute until i discovered
> what they were doing.
>
> what is truly horrific and why i want them OUT is that they are eating
away
> the 200 year old soft bricks of my back house! they perch on the 2nd
story
> wall and have stripped away the paint from the bricks and have eaten over
1
> 1/2 inches into the brick. it's amazing and peculiar and no one has ever
> heard of this problem. it is destroying my facade as well as the brick.
> they are eating everywhere. now, they've taken to eating the mortar
between
> the bricks as well as the stucco that covers some of the wall (like
> wainscoting). they are plaguing me. if your friend can offer any solution
to
> get rid of these pests, i would be ever so grateful to him. and to you
for
> asking him.
>
> thank you so much >>