Author Topic: Everything to do with Conwy  (Read 625992 times)

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Offline SteveH

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1170 on: June 16, 2016, 11:57:10 am »
Works starts to remove abandoned boat from Conwy beach
 
AN abandoned boat that was destroyed in a blaze four years ago is to finally be removed from Conwy beach.
The 40 foot fishing boat, known as the Grey Lady, has been on the beach at Conwy since February 2012.

Conwy Council have confirmed that they are in the process of removing the boat. A spokesman said: "Operations to remove the wreck of the Grey Lady started on Monday June 13 and are scheduled to last for 3 weeks.
“Contractors will be using a work vessel and barge to remove the wreck in sections."
http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/163291/works-starts-to-remove-abandoned-boat-from-conwy-beach.aspx

Offline Hugo

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1171 on: June 16, 2016, 12:50:48 pm »
It was in a sad state when I went past The Grey Lady


Offline SteveH

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1172 on: July 26, 2016, 05:07:25 pm »
We spent a couple of hours in Conwy last week, took a walk on the quay and noticed a family of six all eating chips, two of them where feeding the gulls, while the other four complained about the gulls attacking and pinching their food ? ............. ???.... ???


And todays Post.....
Conwy residents take matters into their own hands to tackle seagull menace.
Conwy Residents’ Action Party (Seagulls) have enlisted the help of Kevin Bunn and his Lord of the Wings birds of prey to scare off irksome gulls.
They might have given themselves a cheeky acronym, but a band of Conwy residents are serious about turning the tide against rogue seagulls

Spokeswoman Mags Jones has joined with neighbours to hire Mr Bunn and his gang of young volunteers to rid their properties of the birds, after what they say has been the worst year for disruption by herring gulls.

Mags and fellow group members Paul Ridley, Les Warmington and Chris and Yvonne Branson have taken a stand against the avian interlopers.

For £60, Lord of the Wings will stay in situ three days a week, and the group wants other Conwy residents and businesses to stump up and help them extend the idea across the town.
More  http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/watch-conwy-residents-take-matters-11666089

Offline BMD

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1173 on: July 26, 2016, 05:46:20 pm »
Is there any evidence that using birds of prey has any lasting effect? For instance, in deterring gulls from nesting in a given area (in which case, the best time to have hawks around would presumably be around the end of March?). I remember they were used at Rhyl for a period (hired by the council I think) and possibly at Llandudno? But has it been found successful or not?

Offline SteveH

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1174 on: July 26, 2016, 06:21:00 pm »
Is there any evidence that using birds of prey has any lasting effect? For instance, in deterring gulls from nesting in a given area (in which case, the best time to have hawks around would presumably be around the end of March?). I remember they were used at Rhyl for a period (hired by the council I think) and possibly at Llandudno? But has it been found successful or not?

BMD, This is a quote from a falconry site, it implies a regular patrol is needed........
" Pigeons and Gulls will not settle where there are natural predators; the very presence of Falcons and Hawks will create a no-fly zone to flocks of unwanted Pigeons and Gulls. Our birds will only need to fly once or twice per week to have the maximum impact on a nuisance bird population."

"Artificial bird decoys will only have a short term effect on pigeon and gull roost control. It is a fact that birds are intelligent animals and quickly adapt. It will not take long for a bird to realise that artificial decoys pose no threat at all."

"The falconry effect does not diminish over time; pigeons and gulls do not become habituated to the presence of birds-of-prey."

The Mayor of Colwyn Bay has a ceremonial falconer, maybe we could borrow him..... ;) 


Offline Nemesis

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1175 on: July 26, 2016, 06:34:00 pm »
Our chimney sports a large owl, which has been there for at least 18 years. At first we never had gulls anywhere near the roof, but now they are so brazen that they sit next to the owl and even on its head.

Being surrounded by rooftop nests, the noise is ear splitting at times, especially around dawn.

Could do with a decent night's sleep !!
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline hollins

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1176 on: July 26, 2016, 06:42:20 pm »
Is there any evidence that using birds of prey has any lasting effect? For instance, in deterring gulls from nesting in a given area (in which case, the best time to have hawks around would presumably be around the end of March?). I remember they were used at Rhyl for a period (hired by the council I think) and possibly at Llandudno? But has it been found successful or not?

I don't know anything about it in this country but when I first visited a hotel in Abu Dhabi they had a real problem with pigeons and their resultant mess on the balconies. A year later I saw this man training this bird of prey. They had been hired to try and solve the problem. The last two times I have been it seemed to have worked. I had a open balcony on the top floor and no mess.

Offline BMD

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1177 on: July 26, 2016, 07:02:30 pm »
Interesting. Although I suspect gulls would be more difficult to deter than pigeons. When I visited Rhyl at the time they were doing the regular hawk patrols around the centre, I recall that the gulls seemed a bit spooked, at most. It didn't seem to clear them from the area. But then the hawks were just perched on people's arms - they weren't set loose!

The falconry site that Steve quotes says: "Our birds will only need to fly once or twice per week to have the maximum impact on a nuisance bird population." I'm not sure how they'd have them flying around in an urban area, although I'd pay good money to see one of those large Harris Hawks flying around Colwyn Bay.

I sympathise, Nemesis, on getting no sleep. I've been sleeping with the type of foam earplug that blocks out all sound, for 3 months solid. Otherwise sleep would be out of the question with the gulls at the moment.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1178 on: July 26, 2016, 08:11:34 pm »
My OH tried the earplugs which worked for him, but being in our job we need one pair of ears for any nocturnal comings and goings !..........usually mine ! Ears not comings and goings. Just had a bucket full of inconsiderate noisy people, who nearly had the benefit of my nocturnal noise !
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1179 on: July 26, 2016, 08:51:24 pm »
"The falconry site that Steve quotes says: "Our birds will only need to fly once or twice per week to have the maximum impact on a nuisance bird population." I'm not sure how they'd have them flying around in an urban area, although I'd pay good money to see one of those large Harris Hawks flying around Colwyn Bay."

They do have to fly, to be effective, and some hawks are better than others usually the bigger the better.

When flying the birds, they use transmitters attached to the birds so they can be tracked and followed, then try to lure them back, hopefully.



Offline Bosun

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1180 on: July 27, 2016, 02:09:53 pm »
My neighbours, bless them, have brought a kite of a bird of prey on a very long pole from Denbigh Plant Services in Mochdre, and it's brilliant! They fly it for a few hours every couple of days so that the gulls do not get blasé or used to it and the seagulls and their noise and fouling has dramatically reduced and for the first time in a very long period, we are not woken up at 4am by screaming gulls.

We are very grateful to them and have repaid them with copious quantities of red wine.
Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. You may have been given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1181 on: July 27, 2016, 06:06:27 pm »
Denbigh Plant Hire has one of  those bird of prey kites operating in their Mochdre address and it looks quite impressive.
We could do with one for the Pigeons that keep coming to my house, perhaps if I get one they'll all go back home to  M E's place

Offline spotty dog

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1182 on: July 27, 2016, 06:18:05 pm »
I used to supply a contractor with a product called fluid x, which basically was a smelly jays fluid,he was paid to remove seagull nests from the hotels and bird proof them .the fluid was supposed to be a disinfectant but he found it deterred the birds for the season i have tried it in Conway with great success just put in weed sprayer and spray around used area

Offline SteveH

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1183 on: July 27, 2016, 06:37:01 pm »
All this talk of kites.............Looks effective

Video of kite in action.........  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjWhHA3DMdA

And sites where they can be bought..........  https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHKZ_enES433ES433&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=hawk%20kites%20for%20sale%20u

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Everything to do with Conwy
« Reply #1184 on: July 27, 2016, 09:08:32 pm »
I used to supply a contractor with a product called fluid x, which basically was a smelly jays fluid,he was paid to remove seagull nests from the hotels and bird proof them .the fluid was supposed to be a disinfectant but he found it deterred the birds for the season i have tried it in Conway with great success just put in weed sprayer and spray around used area

Wish they would use this on Asda's roof, it seems to be having to be cleaned very regularly, or the smell is choking.
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.