26 Feb 2021

Birds vs Birds

From Country Life, 9:15 pm on 26 February 2021
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Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles

It's the time of the year when grape growers are desperately trying to stop birds from tucking in to or, annoyingly, giving grapes a single peck.

Most growers net their grapes - but there are other ways of keeping starlings, blackbirds, silver-eyes, sparrows and mynas out of vineyards.

Sonic bird scarers that shoot a cartridge up into the air and explode are used to keep birds away as are gas guns that make loud booms, flapping kites and even lasers.

James and Annie Millton have a biodynamic vineyard near Gisborne and James says they use nature to help control the birds.