Who uses or has used mist nets for sparrows?

Job pending, but not a clue on this type of pricing. Birds are in warehouses that hold lumber, interior products, etc. Using the overhead doors for the most part for access. I don't think it will be a problem as far as setting up. Just don't know how long or how many times I'll need to re-set, etc. Any advice appreciated.
Brian

Brian,

I just did this for the first time in a big box store setting.

Loved it!

Using bird barriers tallest mist net kit.

Drop a line if you want to visit.

Justin

Ps I did sparrow sleds without live sparrow bait and couldn't get a second look for what it's worth.
I know they work, but when time is of the essence and you don't have a live decoy bird I'll stick to my mist net
for the bulk of them.

ware house is nice box stores suck LOL ware house I would go in a few hours before day break and set the nets on hangers with hooks only use the lights that are on. I have alum poles that connect and I can stand and set on girders 3 guys can really move 2 guys are good one guy works hard LOL I do a couple flight patterns a few days before I set up.

Jonesie,

I'm a total newbie with this mist netting. Other than in college once upon a time helping band some migratory birds, haven't been near one or used one in more than 15+ years.

I was basically frustrated trying to live trap the birds without a live bait bird and saw the new mist net kit in the bird barrier flyer they send out.

I bought the tallest kit, has two types of end attachments, magnets (very strong) and hooks, you can choose which you like and screw them to the end of the telescoping poles and up you go once your net is on there. Though I took a helper, I could easily see doing this solo with that kit as long as the net is.

I now look up in every big box store now that I know the obstructions like pipes and other things that cause you to have to work around them, but I'll say, man was this slick.

There were a dozen sparrows in the store when we started at 5am and we had 7 of them in a holding tank within 2 hours including moving the net several times and avoiding being splattered by early morning tow motor traffic.

I'll also say the laser pointer worked great, though so did the flagging pole "corral pole" that comes with it.

I can also see if you have multiple sections of area and a large enough store how having two or even three net setups could rock and roll and get you done quicker.

I have about 4 birds I need to catch still but believe they were all female as the tally was mostly male and things went silent upon those 7 after two hours of moving them around.

It also helped that the big box had several known food draws and if you ask the employees who drive the tow motors and so forth who are watching your action, they all know where the birds like to hang out and go, so you get a full scouting report.

(A disclaimer for sake of saying it, the mist net kits are meant for catching non protected species unless folks have permits from state/federal govt. to say otherwise for migratory birds or bats. - worth noting for anyone thinking of options for these.)

I'm excited now for the next store and plan to start advertising for it, plus as I mentioned to Brian in a PM, I was looking for pigeon work from these folks and this got me in the door and I landed what I wanted for the work I like to do thanks to learning to catch these sparrows!

Best,

Justin

I've used them for banding. We caught sparrows, but the target was chicadees. Those little buggers are vicious.

Eaten,

I was surprised the beak strength in the English sparrows, tenacious and once locked on were very reluctant to let go! Like little needle nose plyers! Bold defensive behavior for such little nippers!

I banded evening grossbeaks, they are seed eaters and can the ever bit. JMO

The nets are effective but when you get down to the last few birds if not already caught they will start to avoid the nets. Once harassed a lot with a lazer pointer they start heading down to the shelves and under pallets to hide.

Lots of looking and searching for the little buggers on some of those jobs. May take a couple of days to clean a place out. We have done a lot of TSC stores in the tri state area over the years so you get to see bird behavior modification at work as they adapt to being chased around an area. Need to bring the air rifle in for that last one or two on occasion.

I think the TSC by my house is pretty happy to let them live there. There is a flock in there.

Bob, air rifle won't be an option. The manager won't sign off on it. He's afraid for the sheet metal roof.

Would anyone care to discuss pricing on these types of jobs?

PM sent

I watch the birds to find patterns of where they like to fly and put the nets up and make sure they have enough slack for the bird to role into the net or they will bounce off and all the birds will avoid pretty quickly. Try not to let any informants beat the net or the effectiveness will go down quickly. Its a good tool and the bird barrier kit with the magnets looks like it will make them so much more efficient.
What I have had the most success with is the bird sled with a decoy. The trapdoor trap from b. barrier and wcs.especially when you have only a few birds and they aren't able to come and go from the building. Both of them are made much more effective with a bird chirper from bb and wcs. Demonstrate you are not using a firearm but a low velocity pellet. Shoot some metal in front of him and show the lack of damage. If necessary use unleaded pellets.177 is big enough and co2 is fast enough. Use at least two excellent shooters with good judgement or sit still in a bird attractive zone. The bird chirper or download chirp usa on your smart phone helps to bring them to the trap or the gun. So many people have and are using .22's and it scares managers and lawyers. Glue traps put where they feed usually floor level work good for me.
If you have to do it when the birds are sleeping put the chirper or smart phone on the PA system to wake them up.
Also whatever traps, nets or guns u use try not to watch particularly from where the bird can see you. The net not so much but the traps before they get in they seem to scan for predators and see our eyes with slits in them and take off. tell the employees that also because they will hang around the trap to watch. Then will tell you how smart the bird is because he jumped all over the trap but would not go in. You want to say its not that he is so smart but you're a dumas but you don't.

I'm a Bander and most of what I handle are chickadees. Typical conversation, as I stick my hand into the catching box, to fetch one out, is;

" Now I've got ye. Ow!!! Ye little sod! Get off me!!! Ow!!! "

Sparrows can bite. But, they just lack that all out, relentless aggression of the chickadees.

See, now this is why Tman is so valuable. I would have never known how dangerous chickadees are and to charge more for them if we

ever get a chickadee job.

Watch out for the Dudeadees/.....................