PORTLAND, Ore. - The population of starlings and other birds that roost on the Interstate Bridge is growing every year and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is upping its counterattack.
The problem is that the bird droppings are doing damage to the bridge's paint by eating away at it.
On Friday, ODOT crews plan to activate four propane-fired orchard cannons, which will be placed at the four corners of the lift span. The cannons will automatically launch blasts of air about every 15 seconds during a 2 1/2-hour stretch in the late afternoon and early evening hours for the next month.
ODOT has tried this before, but it is using more fire power now because more and more birds keep coming back. They also plan to play recorded sounds of predatory birds and birds in distress as another deterrent.
Two things --
Let's see, it didn't work the first time. Maybe they could have consulted people in the agricultural industries...you know, people who deal with starlings on a daily basis. Like for instance, my buddy the vinyard manager...who would have been quick to tell them that starlings(and other breeds of dicky-birds) get used to a propane cannon in...oh, about 6 hours, after which it has little æffect.
And, I'm trying to come up with a number that's reasonable for the over/under on the number of days before a propane cannon blast freaks some little old lasy out, causing her to swerve on the narrow, 3-lane Interstae Bridge, resulting in massive casualties and some cars getting bumped off the bridge, into the Creek.
As an aside, if you put appropriate projectiles in an agricultural propane cannon, they can make a pretty entertaining toy...OR SO I'VE HEARD.
