Ohhhh Nooooo! That is frustrating! Plus you don't want bird poo on where your hands may touch. Fake owl sounds good.

My sons rubber snake works 24/7 for a long time. I should give him a vacation.

I agree that they could mess up plants, but robins, mourning doves or any other birds are not stupid...they are just trying to build a nest, lay some eggs & take care of their babies...

I never would've thought of a rubber snake. I'll see what I find.

Rina, I agree they aren't totally stupid. But these ones are. Why would they continue to try to build a nest on my balcony. Where I am often hanging out. How many times do they need to be chased off to get the point?

I think there is a reason we use the term "bird brain" as an insult ;)

as my kids used to say: they were here first...and now they are looking for some greenery where ppl built concrete jungles

I agree Rina. I just wish they wouldn't damage my succulent is the process. The doves destroyed my herbs, that I'm okay with. I even cut open a milk jug and tied it to the outside of my balcony so they can nest there if they want. I provide them with alternatives, the just don't like it!

I once had a pair of mourning doves nest on the corner of my garage door. I thought it was because they weren't very bright but mostly it was because invasive species like house sparrows took all the good nesting spots. They recently started a program here where they catch house sparrows. You would not believe all the finches and doves here now that sparrows aren't stealing their food and destroying their nests! And I can finally park in my garage again.

Is the milk jug a platform or a jug with a hole in it? Doves prefer a nice flat platform with two walls, over a house. I have wood platforms on the overhangs of my roof for them.
Otherwise, you might want to buy a pinwheel or something that moves in a slight breeze and is shiny or bright colored. I also like christmas tinsel tied to a stick, though it works well in my vegetable garden and near my tastier succulents I can't say it really adds to the garden, but lord, birds hate the movement and the shine.

I also had a cd chime up and the birds hated it, but friends would eventually go over to look at it and find out about my once horrible taste in music. So to stop the judgment I had to toss it. You will always be in my heart backstreet boys wind chime ;_;.

At least you don't have pesky squirrels nibbling on your plants. Last fall a squirrel bit off two branches of a plumeria, and chewed on my succulents.

Christopher

I wish it were birds or squirrels messing with my plants...
...because, no matter how frustrating, they'd be just birds and squirrels — no malice.
I had the neighbors' kid pulling my strings of pearls, beheading my sage's flowers and breaking one of the stems...

dephora - that makes sense because they were trying to nest on the top shelf, and I live on the 3rd floor. So, next time I will try to make them an alternative flat nesting area.

Six Silver - did you talk to that kids parents? I wouldv'e knocked that kid in the head! Seriously, that is so disrespectful!

That is cute Stush. My biggest issue with it is that the parents might end up abandoning the babies as the weather gets warmer and we are on our balcony more and more often. If I had a yard or more space it would be a different issue. I have a balcony that is about 7ft x 5ft - that is just not enough space for us to share - considering they freak out when I come out there.

Great photo Stush. They don't want to damage plants, just a little sheltered spot-definitely better than plastic jug with no "life" in it. And at the same time, they will pick whole bunch of bugs that could do much more damage to plants.

Had doves nesting on my balcony one summer. Will never let that happen again -- had feces everywhere.

I wasn't able to speak to the parents directly but the janitor (I live in an apartment complex, first floor, with a small garden I'm not allowed to meddle with right by the living room's windows — my own "garden" is a collection of pots on my doorstep) did talk to the nanny [edit: who let] the kids roam in the yard before discovering what they'd been up to (and tried to "stick things back together" — seriously, as though it wouldn't be visible)...
...I don't want to start making problems because I'm not even sure the parents would understand the fuss over plants; and as it has happened just once, I'm willing to give the lot — twins and nanny — a second chance...
Hope you're having better luck with your robin... did the plastic snake idea work out?

I haven't had the chance to go get anything yet. I moved the plant to a lone plant stand and the robin doesn't seem to like it anymore. She has left my balcony alone. I've also read about just putting up fishing line in a x pattern. I might just do that.

I'm glad the bird is gone. Interesting how a change of location changed everything for the bird...

Yeah. It just doesn't seem so safe and hidden anymore. That was the idea.