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Starlings Cover Campground in 7 Inches of Droppings

by Libby Zay Subscribe to Libby Zay's postsPosted Feb 11th 2011 12:00 PM

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Like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," a massive flock of Starlings are descending on a campground in a seaside resort town in Cornwall, England. To the campground officials' horror, the birds have covered the park in up to seven inches of droppings in some areas.

The bizarre "attack" of tens of thousands of birds at Trevelgue Holiday Park in Newquay came with a startling clean-up bill that has so far totaled nearly $16,000, reports the UK's Daily Mail newspaper.

"The bird droppings are causing a major, major problem. It's acidic and the sheer quantity is phenomenal. The roads on the campsite are absolutely covered and the trees and caravans are lagged," managing director Mike Finnigan tells the news outlet.

Every night, the starlings descend on the park's electric wires, telephone poles and trees to roost at about 5 p.m. Droppings are collecting in such large quantities that the ground below any of these structures appears to look like a gravel path.

Major branches have fallen off of some trees because of the weight of the droppings, but fortunately no buildings on the site are particularly close to the affected trees.

In an attempt to solve the problem before the campground opens in April, the park has employed a bird scarer who will try to force the birds to move on.

"The starlings flocking are a wonderful force of nature. The flying formations are magnificent but like everything, every action has a reaction. Unfortunately there are some health hazards associated with that," says Finnigan.

Photo, Matt Cardy, Getty Images

Filed Under: News

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bobc519

The only thing that will resolve the Starling problem is a shotgun loaded with # 71/2 birds shot.

April 11 2011 at 11:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
joe

way to go tony.thats what i like to read.a well thought out plan by a guy with good sound problem solving skills.

February 12 2011 at 9:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
joe

way to go tony.thats what i like to read.a well thought out plan by a guy with good sound problem solving skills.ugh bird doo doo on lawn kill kill kill.

February 12 2011 at 9:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Terry

This is known as "Guano" and is some of the best fertilizer in the world. And just like in America the idiots that be are paying some piece of corporate excrement to take it away and then sell for a profit.

February 12 2011 at 7:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jim K.

Think someone made a wrong call on this one. Sounds more like what politicians are involved with to me.

February 12 2011 at 7:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
d

Don't kill the birds! That's cruel. They have to go to the bathroom.

February 12 2011 at 6:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
chicklady

Cheer up over there! Here, the cleanup would have cost 100K :)

February 12 2011 at 6:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tony

Time to go hunting and kill them. Shot guns and poison
works....

February 12 2011 at 5:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
l1a1h1

Sounds like a load of s**t to me. I once was a janitor at a local mall. To clean the roof of the pigeon poop, we had to wear waders and use coal shovels because in some areas the stuff was two feet deep. No s**t!

February 12 2011 at 5:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Patricia

These birds are as welcome as disgusting "pigeons". YUCK!!!!!! It's too bad some hunters can't use them as "target" practice, without knocking the lines down.

February 12 2011 at 4:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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