Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Ian W on August 02, 2008, 02:20:20 pm

Title: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 02, 2008, 02:20:20 pm
I am noticing an awful lot of bird strikes on windows lately. 6 this week alone.  :-\

Is anyone else seeing a rise in bird strikes?

One of my customers has put bird of prey stickers on her window since the last occasion.
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: dmlservices on August 02, 2008, 02:35:37 pm
i have 1 house where there is one window that gets hit every time, i cleait up -takes ages esp. if the birds crop breaks , it is a bedroom window and there is another on other side of room , i suppose it looks to the bird as if it can fly straight through  ;D

daz
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 02, 2008, 02:42:46 pm
Wow, every time. Maybe it isn't so unusual then?

You can usually tell which angle they have come in from by the marks left behind. It is the ones that hit head on, rather than glancing off, that I feel sorry for.
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: [GQC] Tim on August 02, 2008, 02:45:03 pm
I'd say a hot system would do wonders, cold wfp takes ages to get it off.

Has anyone tried isopropyl alcohol on these things? (mixed in tank ofcourse)
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 02, 2008, 02:47:12 pm
I haven't experienced any problems removing the marks yet. Trad or WFP, it seems to come off quite easily.
Have you Tim?
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Londoner on August 02, 2008, 02:54:02 pm
Have you noticed its nearly always pigeons? It happens most on big picture windows facing the garden.

Step back on a sunny day and you see what the pigeon sees, a perfect reflection of the garden.
To the pigeon, who can only see with one eye at a time so it hasn't got 3D vision, it looks like it is the garden. So he flies down to land in it.
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 02, 2008, 02:55:55 pm
That would make sense Vince. The outlines are certainly pigeon sized.  :)
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: jaykie on August 02, 2008, 03:49:50 pm
One of my custys has a A4 bit of paper in the bedroom with, seagull aim here and a arrow.

Chris
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: [GQC] Tim on August 02, 2008, 03:58:57 pm
I haven't experienced any problems removing the marks yet. Trad or WFP, it seems to come off quite easily.
Have you Tim?

I've had it with one (wfp) that didn't seem to come off very well, must have been a very greasy bird.  :D
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 02, 2008, 04:11:05 pm
One of my custys has a A4 bit of paper in the bedroom with, seagull aim here and a arrow.

Chris
Lol  ;D
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 02, 2008, 04:13:03 pm
I haven't experienced any problems removing the marks yet. Trad or WFP, it seems to come off quite easily.
Have you Tim?

I've had it with one (wfp) that didn't seem to come off very well, must have been a very greasy bird.  :D
Perhaps it was a seabird that had been in an oil slick...  :o
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: [GQC] Tim on August 02, 2008, 05:07:45 pm
Are some birds feathers now naturally greasy though? Like a duck, it has this special gland of grease, and they rub it through their feathers, so that there feathers don't soak up water so they can float? :)

Not saying all birds are ducks, but they might have greasy feathers?
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: windowwashers on August 03, 2008, 12:17:32 am
I'd say a hot system would do wonders, cold wfp takes ages to get it off.

Has anyone tried isopropyl alcohol on these things? (mixed in tank ofcourse)
I have this problem on a few houses every clean near on (I would not really say it is a problem tbh)

the marks come straight on with cold wfp, same as trad is to shift ::)
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 03, 2008, 08:56:43 am
Are some birds feathers now naturally greasy though? Like a duck, it has this special gland of grease, and they rub it through their feathers, so that there feathers don't soak up water so they can float? :)

Not saying all birds are ducks, but they might have greasy feathers?

I think all birds use oils to protect their feathers, but I would think seabirds would need more than pigeons for example. Could you put a tiny drop of detergent on an old brush to clean the grease off, then just pure water to clean/rinse the window?

PS I know that KFC chicken is pretty greasy. Does that count?  ;D
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Londoner on August 03, 2008, 01:53:34 pm
Pigeons leave dust, like talcom powder, in the glass. Sometimes its a perfect image you can see every detail.
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 03, 2008, 08:54:50 pm
Pigeons leave dust, like talcom powder, in the glass. Sometimes its a perfect image you can see every detail.
That is what I have seen, so definitely pigeons then.
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: L.J.Thorpe on August 03, 2008, 09:14:54 pm
pigeons every time
i have 4 houses and there is one window on each one that has a pigeon outline almost every time
other houses get em sometimes
all the houses that get em regular are same design too
big picture windows with an open plan room and another window behind
as has already been mentioned i thinkit looks like they can fly thru
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 03, 2008, 09:39:00 pm
I don't think any of mine have windows on both side of the room, but they do seem to reflect the trees quite well. I guess they think they are flying into a wood?
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: [GQC] Tim on August 04, 2008, 10:18:53 am
Haha, pigeons aren't really smart at all. I'll tell you a funny story. We always used to have a pet pigeon when I was younger, just flew in our garden one day and I just stayed, and we fed him.

Now, pigeons always have a dopey way in everything that they do, but this was hilarious. We gave him a slice of bread, he picked out all of the inside, leaving the crust, throwing it in the air like they do. He ate the whole of the middle, and then threw it up again, and it landed over his neck, the whole slice of bread was over his head, and he completely freaked out, he couldn't understand what was happening, tried to fly away, but half crashed because of to the bread, it was so so funny, we laughed so hard, he was okay when it came off, just continued eating.  :D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Bird strikes
Post by: Ian W on August 04, 2008, 07:57:01 pm
Lol  ;D