THE war against the starlings in Peel St resumed on Tuesday night as the council battled another invasion of the flying pests into the Tamworth CBD.
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Tamworth Regional Council brought out the big guns to blast the birds out of the Peel St trees in a renewed offensive brought on by increased starling numbers but boosted by Indian mynah birds too.
The council said the latest Starling Wars episode was in response to increased health and safety concerns for humans and a build up in bird numbers that was seeing more starling droppings and more mess on the streets and walkways in the city's main street.
The council took to the blocks between Bourke and White streets last night from 9pm in a sustained water weapon attack with high pressure sprayers on the Peel St trees where the birds have congregated lately.
TRC director for regional services Peter Resch said the water spray would make the location uncomfortable for the birds, and hopefully force them to move on from the main street.
"The water doesn't hurt the birds, it simply makes them cold and provides a less than desirable nesting place, forcing them to move along," Mr Resch said said.
They will continue the forays each night until they get some results - and the council has argued that the use of town water in the midst of a ban on outdoor use, is crucial.
Mr Resch said they will not be using water from the town supply - they have alternative sources, predominantly rain water from the Lockheed St works depot.
Mr Resch said because of health reasons they could not use recycled or bore water while ever the street is also inhabited by humans.
That posed potential health risks because of what material might be in untreated water.
But the council says it is using as much recycled water as it can with cleaning pavers although much of the steam cleaning methods cannot be undertaken with raw water either.
It's believed to be the first time the council has had to resort to the big water guns to upset the starlings' nesting habits since about 2011 although other methods have been systematically used over the past nine years.
The council has had a fight on its hand periodically with the birds since 2007.
Over that time, they've variously taken a real liking to the trees along Peel St and their roosting at nights have caused a stink and a stream of bird poo on street furniture and footpath paving stretches.
The last couple of years haven't been so bad, but they're back now, and the council believes the long hot summer and the endless autumn warm weather has helped bird numbers build in the city.
The water weapons are designed to unsettle them and also drench them and make them cold - so they leave those trees and look for warmer places to rest. "The birds pose a health risk to residents and visitors and as such, this is a public health issue that we would like to rectify sooner rather than later," Mr Resch said last night.
"The birds are beginning to nest and they will lay eggs in August/September, so we need to act immediately and we will continue to spray the trees until the birds move on."
The last big blast in the war against the starlings was about this time two years ago when a trial based on 'cicadas on steroids' was designed to knock the birds back and keep them away.
Since the first problems emerged, the council has used water, strobe lights, the sound of two hands clapping with wooden sticks, nets, plastic snakes, and cicadas that sound like they're on steroids because they're loud and designed to disrupt the birds from a good night's sleep.
Despite all those war plans, council crews and management have always found water has always been the best starling wars weapon.
"You blast them with it and they don't like it, it's cold and uncomfortable," TRC director Peter Resch has said