This query from Jim Fyfe in Otago;
A MWH consultant has approached us about an oppotunity to incorporate shag roosts within a structure they are designing to provide a cycleway alongside Otago Harbour. These will be counter-levered perpendicular to the fenced path, overhanging lagoons that are cut off from the main harbour by the railway. Currently the shags are known to roost on the railway lines themselves.
This seems a reasonable idea. More detail is needed on the length of the counter-levered roost and the nature of the roosting platform. Accounting for wing-span etc I imagine the length should be at least 0.75 to 1 m out from the fence demarking the edge of the cycleway. Little shags seem to roost quite ably on wooden 4x2 rails, but if anyone has more specific information about the width and curvature for the ideal shag roost, please let me know.
The consultant would prefer to use metal for construction.... I have visions of shags frozen to their roosts in some of our cold Otago winters!
If using metal, is their some sort of textured surface that would be more suitable?
Let me know if you have worked on something similar.
Reply from Keith Owen
All sounds fine to me. Keeping the birds far enough away to not get disturb each time cyclists come by is the key. I think you will find that after a while the birds will get use to activity nearby but you will need some space between the fence and the roosts. I am not too sure that 1m max is sufficient? Locally I noticed a roost that was made of building timber with a natural log shaped by the sea on top of it. It was well used by shags. By doing this it might look a bit more natural, save your birds from getting frozen and be more attractive. Perhaps you could trial a few options first.
... and one from Bill Flury
If you can crack it you might have a potential product to sell to boat owners who keep their boats on swing moorings in areas with L. shags! At Lake Taupo, which has its fair share of cold breezes shags don't seem to mind steel or aluminium as roosts (pers. obs.) and seemed to prefer either to trees. In this case the steel pipe hand rails of our boat were about 30 mm diameter & the rocket launcher was Alu tube about 50 mm diameter, judging by the buildup of guano both would be quite suitable for MWH's purpose!
