I did order the alligator. Probably won't do any good. It's actually a 3-piece alligator that move "lifelike" in the pond. Kind of creepy actually. Will probably scare the grandkids more than the birds. My pond is not really big. There is a very small upper pond with no fish that flows into a short stream and the lower pond is not much larger, and similar shape, to a grand piano. It's right off my deck and patio. We've had it for 15+ years and never had a problem until we took down those trees. I am hoping that due to the small size of the pond the bird would not want to dive in with that floating object in there, even though it may not know what it is. A floating island probably would have served the purpose and would have been chepaer and not so scary. It's too early here to get plants due to cold weather. I will leave the net on for a few weeks and see if more plants and the alligator do the trick.

Jane, if you only have one feeder out, you might try a good mixture with black oil sunflower seeds stirred into it. Don't get the cheapie kind with those little reddish-brown "BB's" in it. I have never seen ANYTHING actually eat those. I get mine at PetSmart, and I really love the Stokes mixture that has no hulls in it. I feed it, black oiler sunflowers and safflower seed. Safflower seed goes into a feeder that doesn't have squirrel protection, because they don't really like it, but cardinals and titmice do. HOWEVER, no matter what you are feeding, there will be times when birds are not around for various reasons. I have hardly any right now, mostly due to a pair of hawks hanging about our neighborhood. And even without the hawks, birds often disappear for a few weeks now and then. One more thing...don't forget that WATER is probably even more important than seed in luring birds to your yard. You'll notice that most of Maureen's pictures feature her great birdbath. Be sure to provide several "baths" around the yard. They can be anything from decorative features to trashcan lids on the ground with 2" of water in them. I often turn clay pots upside down and put a clay saucer on top for water. Keep the water CLEAN and shallow, maybe even adding a rock in the center for birds to stand on. Good luck! Marcia

Anita has the right idea because that sort of tape has movement which is a lot more affective than a stationary fake owl or snake. Any visual scare device that you use should move in some way, or incorporate holographic designs that appear to move. Otherwise, you may just be giving the birds another place to perch. Definitely remove any food sources that you provide. In addition, there are non-lethal sprays, sticky gels, sonic devices (that sound like predators/bird distress calls etc) that people have successfully used to convince birds they'd find a better home elsewhere. Also, remember that a lot of pest control companies offer free consultations. Don't hesitate to take advantage of such a service. Here is a link that might be useful: Bird pest removal FAQs

Actually we are fat because of the fat fairy. Remember when you put your tooth under the pillow and got a quarter? Or nickel? Well, that winged (^(^((&&*&%$%$ takes the teeth and grows them into fat cells. When you are sleeping happily with all your adult teeth she sneaks in and glues it to your butt and thighs, and anywhere else she can. And uh, I kind of roll around in the dirt too, it sure makes me happy to be all dirty in the garden! Tally Ho!