Wealthy residents have attached ‘anti-bird spikes’ to trees in a bid to protect their expensive cars from droppings, outraging environmentalists.
The spikes – which are generally used to stop birds resting and building nests on ledges and nooks on buildings – were nailed to two trees in an exclusive part of Bristol.
The trees, located in the front gardens of privately owned flats in the Clifton area of the city, have been described by a local Green Party councillor as “literally uninhabitable to birds.”
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the spikes were "solely to to protect cars", which include a number of expensive BMWs and Audis, from bird droppings. They 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 the birds do seem to congregate around this area.
"We did try other methods to scare off the birds. "I think we had a wooden bird of prey in the branches, but that didn't seem to do anything."
Green Party councillor Paula O'Rourke, who represents the area, said: “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.
“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.”
Twitter user Jennifer Garrett wrote: “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?!”
Source
The spikes – which are generally used to stop birds resting and building nests on ledges and nooks on buildings – were nailed to two trees in an exclusive part of Bristol.
The trees, located in the front gardens of privately owned flats in the Clifton area of the city, have been described by a local Green Party councillor as “literally uninhabitable to birds.”
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the spikes were "solely to to protect cars", which include a number of expensive BMWs and Audis, from bird droppings. They 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 the birds do seem to congregate around this area.
"We did try other methods to scare off the birds. "I think we had a wooden bird of prey in the branches, but that didn't seem to do anything."
Green Party councillor Paula O'Rourke, who represents the area, said: “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.
“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.”
Twitter user Jennifer Garrett wrote: “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?!”
Source
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?!— Jennifer Garrett (@JMAGarrett) December 18, 2017
📷: thanks to Anna Francis pic.twitter.com/NuG9WvYBMj
Ugh. Typical. The wealthy are the most violent class of society and need to be abolished.
Can we install anti-moron spikes across their threshold to stop them getting out and mixing with the general populous?
Disgusting and hateful. Hope the seagull's can dive bomb instead.
First, I began noticing the spikes which were poking out of the pavement in spaces where the deprived of our society (the homeless, the invisible people) can no longer simply sit... now this? The wealthy are inhibiting birds from making nests on trees... to what end? To save the paint on their cars? They are certainly wealthy enough to purchase a new model of car each year or two, let alone pay for a paint job, if necessary. This is just sick! You are going against nature! No empathy for the poor, no empathy for the birds, nor the living trees you damage... but quite a lot of of empathy for a piece of metal on wheels that projects your stupid, empty socio-economic status, I guess...
What more are these rich people going to do to destroy nature.
CREEPY AS ALL FUCK
Live and let live you cruel ppl
Animal Cruelty. Arrest and charge these peoole!
The selfish and entitled strike again. I'd like to drop them from planes right on top of these trees.
This is not a rich problem - this is an entitlement problem.
That's what garages are for.
Rich twits. How about a car cover? Garage? I'd like to see those spikes scratching up the paint on their precious hunks of metal.
Now if we can only get some spikes that prevent rich assholes who don't like birds.
What's annoying is, if you are rich, you can certainly afford to clean your car or put a protective wax on it. But, it seems they would rather eliminate anything that might damage their precious status symbol. Including removing any sign of nature and beauty. ie birds. I would much prefer the singing of birds than looking at my ridiculous car.
What's annoying is, if you are rich, you can certainly afford to clean your car or put a protective wax on it. But, it seems they would rather eliminate anything that might damage their precious status symbol. Including removing any sign of nature and beauty. ie birds. I would much prefer the singing of birds than looking at my ridiculous car.(c) beverly
Wow, the human race really do think there superior dont they. I hate rich people, wiv there oh let's throw money at this attitude, how dare the wildlife live near us and poo and make beautiful music, we've paid good money 2 live here! Just wow, they shud b prosecuted 4 intentional harm of wildlife and criminal damage, considering they don't own the BIRDS HOMES, and the BIRDS clearly never give consent. Weva planted by man or not, it's stil mother nature allowing it 2 grow, and I'm pretty sure she never consented 2 this either. Moron posh people wiv nothing better 2 do
I hope those branches fall off the trees right onto the tops of their precious status symbols.
Just totally sickning - such a behavior! Who would like to live in a sickning world like this? Oh my God. How low can you sink?
How fucked up is that a perfect representation of the way their minds cope with our planet if it doesn't fit chop it off like their heads 😱😱😱
You know what the funny part is? Birds don't sit on thick branches. They prefer the twigs, you know, because they're tiny. Even the largest pigeon will perch on a twig. So I wish those assholes get their cars splattered in the worst bird diarrhea the animal kingdom has ever seen. Also, that they get arrested or at least fined for harming the trees.
stop attacking the wealth of society! sure, what has gone on here is disgusting but I've known poorer people to attack cats for walking on their car... so this has nothing to do with wealth! Without wealthy people you wouldn't get your benefits or free healthcare given that the top 1% pay over half the total income tax generated.
You can wash away the bird poop off the car, you cannot revive the dead birds killed through this cruel practice. Even hunters of upland game birds and waterfowl hunters who are a duck's best friend because of duck stamps to pay for conservation, would not be hypocrites to condemn this cruel practice!
This is awful! They should just cut the limbs right off the trees or just cut the whole tree down instead!
You should change the title of the article, its very vague. Maybe the location of the tree or trees might be a better way to describe the people responsible for such shenanigans.
Dont want birds shitting on your car, don't park under trees!! If you park under a tree to keep your car cool, expect bird to shit on it!!
I really hope a person dumps a bucket of sh*t on their cars
another disgusting example of cruel and stupid does
Can anyone say "Car Cover"????
What a great idea
What about when they flying.THEY SHIT UP THERE ASWEL.YOU SAD TWATS.
It seems so PETTY and TRIVIAL -- after all, birds love trees -- they belong together -- I say, go to the car wash more often and let the birds live in the trees -- what's more, it looks ridiculous -- it's embarrassing to be that ridiculously petty and upending so many lives -- I hope they get to the bottom of this -- if it's on common ground (public land) the spikes definitely will be coming off -- I hope so.
My neighbour has done this on his fence and shed to stop my cat sitting on his fence!