Playing The Field

Balloons and tinsel in a working farm paddock? This is the sight we saw while heading out from Gore yesterday and I couldn’t believe my eyes! This farm field looks like Party Central but I’m sure the intent is to scare off the birds.. an innovative strategy! A new sight to us – we haven’t seen this method before. Mauve “balloons” (they look like bags) tied to electric fence stakes so that the bags inflate in the wind – generally no shortage of that around the south! And accompanying the balloons, foil streamers that flow and shimmer in the breeze. No birds in sight!

Thinking back to previous trips through here, we’ve noticed a pair of paradise ducks (shelducks) that like to sit on the posts either side of the wooden gate. We’ve also noticed a scattering of feral pigeons on the field – I imagine these were the real culprits.

These are Nigel’s photos, they were better than mine… have you seen this method of bird-scaring?

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This top image is cropped from the second photo to give you a better view

There was a good spread of mauve balloons and foil streamers scattered over the field but at this photo size you can’t really see them. The mauve balloons and shiny streamers looked very celebratory! 🙂

For any readers who know the area, this is right by the Pomahaka River seen from the McNabb-to-Tapanui road. I imagine that the field got flooded when we had a lot of rain in spring/early summer and now the farmer’s obviously had a bird problem. It must be very frustrating and I hope the strategy pays off.

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Text by Liz and photos by Nigel; Exploring Colour (2019)