By Casey Neill
Laser beams are the latest tactic being employed to move on Indian myna birds from a Hallam nature strip.
The Journal News reported last week that the City of Casey planned to place netting over the Charles Avenue tree to deter the 150-strong flock from nesting there.
Vera Mezentseff said the noisy birds were disturbing her sleep and wellbeing and hoped the net would do the trick after plan A – setting up traps – and plan B – trimming the trees – had failed.
But a power line put a stop to applying the net, and plan D is now in action.
“They’re going to be using this laser beam for one week,” Ms Mezentseff said.
“After the week, I’m sort of to take over.”
The council staff have been “flickering that laser on the tree”.
“Monday night, it brought me to tears,” Ms Mezentseff said.
“I was just dreading the time they were going to start up again.
“I couldn’t believe that I couldn’t hear the birds.”
But so far, so good.
“I’ve already brought my laser beams for when they fly back,” she said.
“When they fly back I have to stand there and flicker it until they fly away.
“Year after year, they may come back.
“I’m going to be standing there with some laser beams flickering the birds away.
“I’m very grateful to the council that they have found something that worked, but the thing is that I’ll have to keep on doing it.
“Also it was mentioned to me not to do it when a car is driving past, and aeroplanes.”
Mezentseff said she’d already spotted other bird species returning to the street.
“There was one raven sitting on the light opposite the tree and some more magpies,” she said.
“Now that the Indian mynas are dispersing we’re giving our birds a chance to live.
“If they find a nest, they will break the egg and they will kill off the chick.
“They’re killing off our wildlife.”
At City of Casey’s 6 June meeting councillor Wayne Smith successfully moved for action against the birds as a “matter of extreme urgency”.
He said the situation was the council’s responsibility because it planted the tree and audio recordings of the birds in full voice were “shocking”.
“You can’t live with it,” he said.
But Ms Mezentseff has lived with it for almost two years.
They fly in at 5.30am, leave about 7am, and fly back in about 5.45pm.
“During the night if they’re disturbed they’ll go off again,” she said.
“If you have a restless night and then the birds are at it at 5.30am, it’s like they’re ruling your life.
“Prior to me, neighbours were trying to hose them down but as soon as you put the hose away they’re back at it.
“Rubber snakes in the tree hasn’t worked. Throwing stones at the tree hasn’t worked.
“I’ve been using cotton balls to try to sleep and not to be woken by them.”
