KEY POINTS:
High-pressure tactics got off to a promising start last night when thousands of pooping birds were driven from their favourite roosts in Tauranga's downtown.
A steam-cleaning machine minus the steam pumped a plume of mist into tree branches in Grey and Willow streets in a bid to encourage birds to sleep somewhere else.
Contractors spent about 90 minutes in the early evening dousing the trees that have become so popular with birds that their droppings were creating fouling problems for seats, cars, footpaths and people.
Council arborist Steve Webb said the scale of the problem was revealed with the first squirt at 5.30pm when the sky almost seemed to turn black with the number of birds dislodged from their perches.
At first, the birds retreated a short distance to neighbouring buildings and other trees but each drenching saw fewer and fewer birds return. By the last pass about 7.15pm, he estimated that only a quarter to a third of the original number of birds were returning to roost.
"It seemed to work well, better than I thought it would."
Mr Webb hoped that by the end of the two- week trial, most birds would have found new digs for the night. The squirting will take place on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday when the least number of people were affected.
"We are not trying to get rid of them completely - only get them down to a level where we don't have the problem with the mess."
Mr Webb said even the palm trees were loaded with roosting birds.
This year, the council vetoed shocking birds out of their perches by installing noise-scaring devices.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
