[JaneF]

I know newly planted shallot sets are at the mercy of the birds. Save going down the netting route etc in order to keep the expense down, is anyone able to suggest any tried and tested, cheap and cheerful bird scarers please?

I have put a couple of empty 1.5 water bottles upside down on canes and have a stash of old CD's to use too, not that I'm intending to play music to the little luvvies but string them up. That's the CD's..!

Thanks all.

[RichardA]

I have tried most things and other than netting and next door's cat walking through nothing deters the birds - I have big nets for herons, middle nets for pigeons and smaller nets for the rest
Sorry I really cannot suggest anything else.
R

[JayG]

Having spotted sparrows admiring their reflections in a CD I don't think they work, although actually playing a Barry Manilow CD would certainly scare me off!

Bird problems do vary from one location to another, but I've only ever had to replant a few displaced shallots as long as most of the wispy top is trimmed off before planting (don't overdo it) and they are planted so only the very top is sticking out of the ground.

Blueberries are an altogether different proposition (think KILLER blackbirds!)   

[Slowcoach]

Try tying about 4ft of warning tape to 8ft canes, this works well as long as there is a slight breeze. ;D

[simonwatson]

I've seen ones made out of old plastic drinks bottles. Very effective in terms of how little breeze is needed to make them move. I don't know about scaring the birds though!!

[DD.]

I've tried most things.

Only a physical barrier works for me!

[Pilko]

I've watched pigeons feasting directly beneath CD's and kiddies windmills but found a plastic bottle bouncing about on a length of coat hanger wire works well. Think of a game of hangman, the top part of the gibbet parallel to the ground is the wire and the man is the plastic bottle. Support the wire on a stick and use string to alter the height and swing of the bottle. 

[A Reyt Tayty]

I never seem to get much problems with birds even though I'm in the middle of nowhere with lots of birds about, esp woodies.
My problems all come from the furry-purry creatures. 

[hamsterhead]

I've seen ones made out of old plastic drinks bottles. Very effective in terms of how little breeze is needed to make them move. I don't know about scaring the birds though!!

I must get some as I didn't know that birds and other furry things could read the warnings :-)

[JaneF]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

JayG Val Doonican would do it for me but I have to consider my neighbours. Sparrows displaying budgie related behaviour, I must not put out any kuttle fish...

Try tying about 4ft of warning tape to 8ft canes, this works well as long as there is a slight breeze. ;D

is that to warn the birds to watch out for humans..? ;-)

A Reyt Tayty I think my pussies play with then extracted shallots as they seem to be well away from their hole :-0

Bottle hangman, now there's a thought..

[bazial]

There is no such thing as cheap  ,buy a roll of 1/2ins wire netting ,you can bend it to make a tunnel and when your shallots are well rooted you can use it for something different (pea support, cover cabbage seedlings  etc.)