Osprey deterence

[Kvaughan]

Any success stories re: keeping ospreys from trying to nest (leaving branches, seaweed, fish parts and worse) on our Cape Dory flybridge?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Pet cat?

 

[Peter B]

Welcome to TF.

A fine mesh net over the lot, maybe. Placing rubber snakes, whatever, etc, never seems to work. In the end, I found, (keeping sea swallows off my boat), is that something physical, that prevents them landing or nesting is the only thing that works.

As your vessel is not large, the net would be feasible, and could well work. Thinking of the type of fine mesh nets orchardists use to keep birds off vulnerable berry crops. Good luck with that.

 

[Kvaughan]

Thank you- we’ve put up a “net” of orange deer fence material, eager to see how it works. Inflatable snakes helped with our sailboat boom cover, but the ospreys love the trawler flybridge!

 

[Highland Mist]

I gave up scaring them off. I seem to have the "perfect" boat for the darn seagulls here in the PNW - either that, or they just love the dark blue bimini. I've tried owls and the bird-scare thingy that has multiple wires that rotate out of the base. It all worked for a week or so, then they realize it's not a threat. I surrendered to hoisting a blue tarp on top if the flybridge bimini. If there's a better suggestion out there, I'm open to it!

 

[Kvaughan]

I gave up scaring them off. I seem to have the "perfect" boat for the darn seagulls here in the PNW - either that, or they just love the dark blue bimini. I've tried owls and the bird-scare thingy that has multiple wires that rotate out of the base. It all worked for a week or so, then they realize it's not a threat. I surrendered to hoisting a blue tarp on top if the flybridge bimini. If there's a better suggestion out there, I'm open to it!

We rigged up a scarecrow that seems quite effective, along with a few shiny CD's-- will try to attach photo soon.
The tarp is also a good idea!

 

[HTurner]

Plastic owls can be a deterrent to other birds including other predators. The problem sometimes is that they can look a bit static to the other birds. This can be solved by going to an arts and crafts store and buying a bag of feathers (unpainted -- natural.) Hot glue the feathers to the plastic owl. May sound ridiculous, but this trick does work. The plastic owl will look ruffled and those feathers move in the breeze. A friend taught me this 30 years ago.

 

[Moonfish]

I’m not so sure that plastic or blow up snakes will deter an Osprey as I have seen one fly off with a snake!

 

[HiDHo]

You might try monofilament fishing line in their glide path. They can’t see it and when they touch it they fly away. I think an eagle decoy if you can find one would work better than an owl. We see eagle chasing ospreys and stealing there catches in mid air all the time.

 

[ctjstr]

get a boathouse

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Maybe?

 

[JSK55]

Additional antennas help a lot. I've got outriggers and three antennas off my hardtop and few birds will land even though my boat is one of the taller ones in the marina. I think the vertical rods act as a deterrent making it difficult for the birds to land.