Barbara #3, you are correct: birds will see a grid of dots, too. It won’t look the same as UV, of course, but a regular pattern also seems to deter them from striking windows. There is European glass made with embedded patterns of dots, too, for the same reason. The research center I visited was testing it and was wishing we had it here in the US!
Barbara G
Barbara GleasonMail:1056 Green Acres Rd. #102-359
Eugene OR 97408Barbarabcg51@xxxxxxxxxSent from my iPhone
On Mar 4, 2023, at 10:20 AM, Barbara Bryson <bbryson150@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Are birds only able to see UV paint on windows? I could swear that I saw recommended by a good source a couple of years ago, that one could paint dots on the windows with window paint as long as they are 2 inches apart in a grid. Barbara number 3😊
Sent from my iPhoneOn Mar 3, 2023, at 4:30 PM, Barbara Beebe <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:My simple but effective solution is to have vines: grape, hops, morning glories, whatever seasonal fancy strikes me, provides enticement, buffeting and provision.No birds are injured, but rather benefited, my privacy and shade are provided seasonally and the season end debris contributes to my compost.Plus no ladders are involved past the initial stringing.
Occam’s razor cuts to the chase.
Sincerely,BarbaraOn Mar 3, 2023, at 12:51 PM, Barbara Gleason <barbarabcg51@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:Linda,
Regarding UV window protection to deter bird strikes, it has been known for a number of years that birds DO see into the UV light range, and they use UV well, assessing fitness of their potential mating partners, as well as seeing when fruit is ripe, for instance. Birds feathers take on various UV-colored differences that humans cannot see during the breeding season, as does fruit when ripe. In Europe, kestrels look at mammal urine trails to see which are freshest to discern which spots to hunt in, when the animal cannot be seen.
There are well-studied successful UV-based treatments that can be applied to windows that do work. From Bend, Oregon, come the clings called WindowAlert, and this company also does have a roll-on liquid that can be applied between clings if the user failed to put the clings close enough. There is FeatherFriendly tape that is designed to effectively cover an entire window (useful for larger windows) that applies small UV and human-visible dots to windows, effectively making it appear as if a mesh were covering the window from birds' point of view. There are refractal-like, rainbow-appearing non-UV clings that are out there, as well.
I would be leery of trusting a simple UV-based marker, though, as it might not have sufficient UV in it to last very long. UV liquids DO fade over time: I use the WindowAlert clings on my West-facing back living room windows and must re-apply clings about every 9 months as they fade given that this particular window does get lots of sun in summer.
I would doubt that it would last very long, plus, since birds will try to fit between 3" wide branches, they might simply adjust their speed and angle to hit next to the UV stripe someone had applied. (I learned about the birds ability to weave in between small spaces when I visited a research center in Pennsylvania where researchers were testing various compounds and products to see which worked, which was a fascinating place..)
I would recommend using something that comes with American Bird Conservancy approval, or with the approval of another reliable source that examines, tests, and approves such products, before I trusted it to save birds from possible death by window strike.
Just my 2 cents, from needing to provide window strike protection for many years, and trying out many options.
On Thu, Mar 2, 2023 at 5:05 PM <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:obol Digest Thursday, March 02 2023 Volume: 12 Issue: 070
In This Issue:
#1: From: Linda Fink <linda@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] window bird-saver idea
#2: From: Theodore <yuiqwe1@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] Carnivorous varied thrush follow up
#3: From: Harry Fuller <atowhee@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] SALEM Audubon's March program: Malheur & drought
#4: From: ed mcv <ed.mcvicker@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] Catbird - Wash. Co
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Msg: #1 in digest
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2023 20:25:28 -0800
From: Linda Fink <linda@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] window bird-saver idea
Does anyone know if UV markings on windows can be seen by birds, or some
birds and which ones, and are they effective in stopping window strikes?
These markers are said to write on any porous surface. I would like to
try these if birds can see them.
https://directglow.com/collections/invisible-uv-ink-markers/products/directglow-invisible-uv-ink-marker-pen-with-metal-bullet-led-blacklight
Thanks!
Linda Fink
linda@xxxxxxxx
------------------------------
Msg: #2 in digest
From: Theodore <yuiqwe1@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] Carnivorous varied thrush follow up
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2023 11:50:17 -0800
My partner Elisabeth took this video. At the 26-28 second mark you can see the thrush tear off and eat red flesh. Several individuals were doing this.
Ā Mvi 0002-1.m4v <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IRCGtWBL92tQ-w5d97kEyUG6QgUrIso_/view?usp˙ive_web>
------------------------------
Msg: #3 in digest
From: Harry Fuller <atowhee@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2023 15:08:40 -0800
Subject: [obol] SALEM Audubon's March program: Malheur & drought
Dr. Teresa Wicks of Portland Audubon,
see attached
--
Harry Fuller
author of: *San Francisco's Natural History: Sand Dunes to Streetcars:*
https://ecowise.wordpress.com/2017/04/20/sfnh/
author of *Great Gray Owls of CA-OR-WA*:
https://ecowise.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/the-great-gray-owl-book/
author of *Freeway Birding*: *freewaybirding.com
<http://freewaybirding.com>*
birding website: http://www.towhee.net
my birding blog: atowhee.wordpress.com
------------------------------
Msg: #4 in digest
From: ed mcv <ed.mcvicker@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2023 16:36:39 -0800
Subject: [obol] Catbird - Wash. Co
I got lucky and didn't have to wait long for the Gray Catbird in
unincorporated Washington Co. on the SW 95th deadend stub north of SW
Taylor. It has been seen periodically along the fenceline tangle in this
area since its discovery in mid-January. The sun popped out and shortly
after the bird followed. It seemed to respond to lipsmack and pishing
sounds with chatter, posturing and mewing - or maybe it was just the
sunshine. Photos here
<https://www.flickr.com/photos_user.gne?rb=1&path=&nsid=10665268%40N04&page=&details=1>
.
Best,
Ed McVicker
------------------------------
End of obol Digest V12 #70
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Barbara Gleason ( '<
/ ) )
//" "Mail: 1056 Green Acres Rd. #102-359Eugene, OR 97408
barbarabcg51@xxxxxxxxx
Work: Wild Birds Unlimited in Eugene
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