Spinners!

I've had a problem with doves bouncing off the back door for a long time now. Even though there is a covered patio, the sliding glass door acts like a mirror so the birds see another hopseed full of feeders. Of course, when they fly into it they find a surprise. I have had doves banging into that door at least four or five times a day forever. Only once has the result been tragic. That was a few weeks ago. A dove hit the door with impressive audible force and when I went to look, it was just sitting there on the patio looking dazed. I stepped out and picked it up and could hear the rattle in its chest. About that time it started coughing up blood all over my hand. I decided the trade a lengthy bit of suffering for a quick twist. I didn't really consult the dove on that decision, but I hope it was the right one. Since that day I've thought about how to solve the problem.

Non-glare films? Silhouettes of predator birds? No. These are all unsightly solutions. It just so happens that the perfect solution came along accidently and it only cost $2 plus tax!

Joan and I stepped into The Dollar Store to see if there were any appropriate Easter junk for the kids. There were these little cloth spinners with cute animals on them--they might not be Easter decorations but I was pretty sure the kids would like them. And, hey, they were only a buck. I bought a tortoise and a frog and hung them up from nails that were in the patio from previous unremembered hangings.

Well, wouldn't you know it? They hang in front of the door between the real hopseed and the reflective glass. Since I hung them up there hasn't been a single dove hitting the door--at least not that I have heard or seen.

It's a great solution and I suspect it works better than those cheesy silhouette things anyway. If you have a similar problem you might want to consider a similar solution.