Notice that the walks are cleaner and the swarms of birds that blackened our skies each evening are a little thinner? What miracle of man or nature makes this possible, you ask, as you make your way to work with nary a slip and no goo on your shoe?
It’s the Facilities team at work behind the scenes. Sure, remnants of mylar balloons are still in some trees, and maybe a few birds headed home to cooler climes—but the big impact we’re seeing is from some old-fashioned perseverance. For about three weeks, a small contingent of FOAM guys have been strategically locating themselves on rooftops, shooing away birds that land on parapet walls and ledges as they prepare to swoop down to the trees to roost for the night. The birds don’t like to land in trees they haven’t deemed to be free of predators, so eventually they get frustrated and find a better place to roost, away from our hospital entrances.
If you’ve followed the bird saga you know we’ve looked at a lot of different solutions to get to this one that seems to be working, at least for the time being. But my point in sharing this tale is to remind myself and others that a lot of work takes place on our campus behind the scenes, done by hard working men and women doing all sorts of jobs that contribute to a positive, pleasant or comfortable work environment. I don’t want to take that for granted. Thanks, bird guys and everyone else working out of sight but not mind.
Thank you for sharing this exciting news! I’ve walked thru those dirty puddles each morning; made building entry decisions based on the location of the pressure washer; and had many discussions of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “The Birds”, for what seems like years. Then I read your article and realized that the change was not part of the migration process, but man made! Whoever came up with this idea was a genius and should be given a gold medal!
I agree! Walking from the new plaza garage to the Admin. building each morning has been so pleasant for the past couple of weeks. Bird Guys (as Pep calls you), you have my utmost gratitude! I appreciated your efforts before–something HAD to be done. But now, starting the day sans bird poop smell, pressure washer mist and puddles really makes a difference. I hope the “situation” is better for y’all as well.