An end to Pigeon poo

An end to the Pigeon poo

March 2016

We have been mooring at Longwood Boat Club for 10 months now and during that time our mooring spots have moved around a bit, but the butty was finally moved behind the motor in the autumn.

This was good news but it came with a sting in the tail - Pigeon Poo.

 Target practice for the pidgeons

Our mooring is under a couple of trees and not content with dropping twigs in us they were also the favourite roost for a couple of Pigeons with an incontinence problem. Last autumn we suffered with a plague of purple poo which stuck to the boat like super glue but winter offered a respite. However the first hint of spring brought with it a return of the toxic guano.

Last week the boats were fine but today they were a poo spattered mess, especially the butty which sits under the Alder tree closest to the canal. 

This 50 year old tree is a menace in more ways than one. Not only does it offer birds an excellent roost but as it has swelled it has pushed the concrete piling out of true by over six inches which is making it difficult to get boats in and out.

The simple solution is to cut it down but annoyingly it had a tree preservation order on it which immediately mired us in bureaucracy. After more than a year we had the order lifted and today the tree surgeons arrived to cut it down. The day was also declared a work party day which offered an opportunity to get some of our annual hours in (5 out of 20 for me) so the club turned out in force and as fast as the branched were felled we ferried them over the cut to the bonfire.

Tree felling in action

Four hours later and the tree was no more, just a mountain of logs which will keep the members fires burning for the next 12 months. For us the joy holds no bounds because it means the butty will stay clean.

There is the small problem of the other tree which will probably become the Pigeon's new roost, but its more contained and the splatter zone more manageable.