Interesting problem, Australia only!

[aaardvaark]

I've just struck the first serious problem with my weather station. I noticed that I got 0.6mm of unlikely rain the other day. Then noticed that the outside temp was way too high. When I went to check, the protective shield had fallen off the temp/humidity sensors. Hmmm. On closer inspection it was painfully obvious that the rain gauge cable had also been chopped in two!

The only realistic explanation for all these things is that the cockatoos that often drop in for a feed have 'played' with my sensors.

Looks cute and kindly here...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozjulian/2 ... otostream/

But here's just an inkling of what they are like when they get cranky...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozjulian/2663958108/

Now I have to fix it all and get my old-fashioned rain gauge up for calibration check before the rain comes this afternoon. Not sure what to do to prevent the cockies doing it again.

Julian

[crewsaider]

A 12-bore springs to mind!!!! At least that's one pest (albeit more attractive than the possum) that has not migrated to your antipodean neighbours!

[Gina]

I know several people in Australia online and go on an Australian board. I have heard of lots of damage being done by cockatoos I think you have a lot to cope with there, particularly with the exceptionally high temperatures and tinder dry conditions.

On the current practical problem, all I can think of is to put your cables in conduit and perhaps build a strong Stevenson Screen for your transmitter/temp/humidity unit. Can't be metal though.

[hills]

I've seen the pine cones on the front lawn that they chew in half, so I can imagine what they'd do to a weather station. I wonder if you could get one of those fake owls they use to keep pigeons and sea gulls away and mount that on top of your weather station?? (that said - don't blame me if it attracts them though )

[aaardvaark]

Yes the cutting/chomping power of a cockatoo's beak is something else. I occasionally got bitten while feeding them (this is before I stopped the feeding, a new policy) and I'm sure he was just playing around, but it hurt. If he was trying, I've no doubt he could easily take my finger off.

Anyway thanks for the shotgun suggestion -- don't think that'll be suitable somehow but I know what you mean. It's true about export to NZ, luckily for you it's a bit far for a cockie to fly.

I've fixed the problem just by solder and tape, and have installed a conventional raingauge beside it a) as a calibration check, and b) I've located it so it will make it uncomfortable for large birds to stand where they were probably standing when dismantling my station.

Conduit would be a big exercise on this thing so will leave that until I get desperate. Partial conduit in the most attractive areas might be a goer. Big things like screens and fake owls are out since I live in apartments and the neighbours have to look at it closely too. Also I think Cockatoos would eat owls for breakfast. Well, not eat them but dismember them, can't see them being scared by one.

We'll see what happens. So far my station has managed to scare away most rain, Canberra was surrounded by storms yesterday but we got a mere one-bucket 0.3mm.

Julian

[werribee_au]

Funny story about pigeons and fake owls.

An automatic cawwash in Adelaide has a problem with nesting pigeons and the mess that they make.
It was suggested that fake owls would be the answer.

Well off to bunnings do get some fake owls and placed them around the place.

A week later the service tech visited the site to see the results.

He reported that word must have spread around in the pigeon world, the population had grown and the pigeons had befriended the fake owls, and in fact he noticed one pigeon in particular had become very intimate with one of the fake owls.

Back to the drawing board.