The war on birds: U.K. city adorns trees with spikes
The local city council in Bristol, southwest England, describes Clifton, one of its suburbs, thus: “Elegant, leafy and filled with chic boutiques, cosy cafes, beautiful buildings and iconic attractions ... Clifton is one of Bristol’s most exclusive suburbs and picturesque quarters.”
To that they can now add: Plus we have spikes in trees to deter birds from pooping on the expensive cars of residents.
Clifton has always been one of the tony areas of Bristol, known for its Georgian architecture, and has attracted homeowners who like to drive Maseratis, Ferraris and BMWs. But it came as a shock to some in the area to see that some trees have now been adorned with plastic spikes to deter birds.
The spikes — which are normally used to stop birds resting or nesting on buildings — have been installed along branches that overhang a parking lot used by residents near Clifton Downs, overlooking the Avon gorge and the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge.
“Our war on wildlife: now birds are not allowed in trees...?! Pigeon spikes spotted in Clifton, Bristol above a car park. Has anyone seen this before? How is it allowed?!” wrote Jennifer Garrett on Twitter.
“We have reached a new low. Appalling!” responded Donna Rainey.
The local newspaper, the Bristol Post, reported that a resident of the nearby flats, who asked not to be named, said, “The spikes are solely to protect the cars, there is no other reason.
“There is a big problem with bird droppings around here. They can really make a mess of cars, and for some reason they [ the birds] do seem to congregate around this area.
“We did try other methods to scare off the birds,” the resident added. “I think we had a wooden bird of prey in the branches, but that didn’t seem to do anything. I would say there are a number of other trees around — we are right by The Downs.”
The paper said the local councillor for Clifton, Paula O’Rourke, had condemned the measure.
“I’m aware that the landowner might be legally within their rights to do this to the trees as they seem to be on private land. However, I will be looking into this at the council,” she told the paper.
“Whether allowed or not though, it looks awful and it’s a shame to see trees being literally made uninhabitable to birds — presumably for the sake of car parking. Sometimes it’s too easy to lose sight of the benefit that we all gain from trees and green spaces and from the presence of wildlife around us in the city.”