The first, and only, destructive predator to control is Homo Sapiens.

Crows used to avoid cities; now they are common in cities.. Crows are a very interesting and clever bird but, while I have never seen them do it, I'm sure that Valerie has seen crows lording it over other native birds. A cull of city crows would seem to be a solution, but just imagine the cries of the ignorant!

Another problem is that Australians are more interested in the well-being of invading "refugees", foreigners and 457 workers than they are in their own country and its flora and fauna, incuding birdlife most of the dills are not even aware of.

Clever Crows are just aping the cannibal Currawongs, that have done this since time immemorial.

There is a way of keeping troublesome pets in the yard and that is by placing/welding rollers on top of the entire length of pet proof colorbond fences, which also need a concrete edgeway so as to prevent dogs digging/tunneling out in their own version of the great escape!

We need a market for feral cats, [which make great akubras or cat hats], to create an incentive for professional hunters to get out there in our state forests and national parks as organised skirmish lines of feral destruction!

And good practice for young untested soldiers needing to hone their skills on live target feral species.

Some of which are already busy destroying our native forests!

Snail baits may be particularly effective on the feral cat problem, but in my view unnecessarily cruel and avoided entirely with a well placed round to the head!

Pets need to be tagged so we can identify and fine the owners, who should be forced to watch as their non desexed pets are euthanized, with a 22 calibre solution!

And probably more behavior altering therapy than all the slaps on the wrist with wet tram tickets, we are handing out now to repeat offenders who have rights! Or so they believe!

Or alternatively, don't give a rats as they trample all over the rights of others!

Oh for popup sprinklers that not only discourage offending pets from using your unfenced front lawn as their personal toilet, but the owners who leave home without the obligatory poop bag?

Dogs can't read!

Incidentally, dung beetles usually solve this problem while aerating and fertilizing the lawn/yard/public park.
Rhrosty.

Dear Valerie,

We used to have double barred finches and fairy wrens visit our back yard but haven't seen either in many years. We have rainbow lorikeets, king parrots, pale-headed rosellas and crested pigeons hanging around the seed feeder. My wife throws bits of mince meat to the butcher birds, magpies and kookaburras. I think the latter have scared away the wrens and finches.

It is a matter of plantings I believe.

I hate Cootamundra wattles, their brambly prunings, are a pain to collect, but they are important to small bird survival. My thicket of them supported by the equally obnoxious asparagus fern growing through them, gives the perfect protected nesting spot for our colony of wrens. They are multiplying.

It is probable that suburban people like their gardens too tidy & "pretty" to offer suitable nesting spots. I have 50 meters of overgrown hibiscus windbreak about 7 meters high & 4 or more thick in which I'm sure silver eyes must next, as I see increasing numbers of them around the bird bath.

A thick clump of Sable Minors of all things also offer safe nesting for many honey eaters attracted to our grevillea, callistemon & Calliandra. Yes much of our almost 2 acres house paddock is planted to exotics, but they have their place, the native birds do very well using them, & I'm not sure they know the difference. They must be overgrown however to offer small birds protection. A tidy garden is a crow heaven.

Incidentally there is nothing like going outside quickly, with a broom handle, or some other item easily mistaken for a rifle to chase the crows off. This has caused the crows to abandon my area. Now can anyone advise me how to frighten off the damn wood ducks.

Removing protection would quickly fix the problem. It only took a couple of shot crows, hanging on a fence to clear a couple of hundred acres of the damn things during lambing season. Yes they are smart, & we must use that against them. Simply being native is no recommendation.

Hasbeen,

There is no solution for wood ducks, but if you can't shoot them then trap them, they are not very bright.

They do have one saving grace, they are good roasted.