Bird Poo
- Montana
- Librarian
- Posts: 34721
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
- Location: Cheshire, UK
- Has thanked: 17970 times
- Been thanked: 8904 times
Bird Poo
I know this is an odd question but I just want to be prepared just in case.
As I love birds as much as the sun I tend to attract rather a lot in my garden and I tend to share (during the better weather) my solar observing session with a flock of Goldfinches and various other small birds. My biggest fear is that they may let go after their meal and it might land right on the front of my telescope or Ha filter. What do you do to clean it off? you cannot rub because of the crystals and you would have to get it off very quickly before it dried.
What is the safest method? better to be prepared I think.
Many thanks
Alexandra
As I love birds as much as the sun I tend to attract rather a lot in my garden and I tend to share (during the better weather) my solar observing session with a flock of Goldfinches and various other small birds. My biggest fear is that they may let go after their meal and it might land right on the front of my telescope or Ha filter. What do you do to clean it off? you cannot rub because of the crystals and you would have to get it off very quickly before it dried.
What is the safest method? better to be prepared I think.
Many thanks
Alexandra
- swisswalter
- Way More Fun to Share It!!
- Posts: 17948
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
- Location: Switzerland
- Been thanked: 1 time
- Contact:
Re: Bird Poo
Hi Alexandra
I do will have that problem some time in the future. Cross fingers, it doesn't happen.
I havn't have the problem yet. Just have a spray bottle (the onces you have in the lab) ready next to the scope, filled with ethanol. If it happens, just spray the ethanol on the sh.... and whipe it of with some cosmetic pads ;-)
I do will have that problem some time in the future. Cross fingers, it doesn't happen.
I havn't have the problem yet. Just have a spray bottle (the onces you have in the lab) ready next to the scope, filled with ethanol. If it happens, just spray the ethanol on the sh.... and whipe it of with some cosmetic pads ;-)
Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
-
- Way More Fun to Share It!!
- Posts: 12900
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:02 am
- Been thanked: 171 times
Re: Bird Poo
I have a similar problem with my bees as I have several hives behind the shed and they fly straight over the scope. Generally I wait till its dry and remove it.Often with a lense cloth and some isopropyl alcohol for the tough ones.I use the same method I clean my eyepieces so cotton buds and distilled water also.My biggest problem however is spiders especially in spring they float in in the wind. I've lost count of how many set up on the Ha scopes. Very adaptable creatures.
Derek
Derek
- Montana
- Librarian
- Posts: 34721
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
- Location: Cheshire, UK
- Has thanked: 17970 times
- Been thanked: 8904 times
Re: Bird Poo
Thanks for the replies!
I found 3 Ladybirds asleep in my CaK PST a couple of weeks ago, how did they get in there?
Walter, what ethanol is best 70%, 90% or 100% ? and I also need some ddH2O and some cotton buds at the ready
Many many thanks
Alexandra
I found 3 Ladybirds asleep in my CaK PST a couple of weeks ago, how did they get in there?
Walter, what ethanol is best 70%, 90% or 100% ? and I also need some ddH2O and some cotton buds at the ready
Many many thanks
Alexandra
- swisswalter
- Way More Fun to Share It!!
- Posts: 17948
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
- Location: Switzerland
- Been thanked: 1 time
- Contact:
Re: Bird Poo
Hi Alexandra
the pure 96% works well. You can, as an alternative, use the recipe of the "optoclean" liquid I posted earlier
the pure 96% works well. You can, as an alternative, use the recipe of the "optoclean" liquid I posted earlier
Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
- marktownley
- Librarian
- Posts: 42523
- Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm
- Location: Brierley Hills, UK
- Has thanked: 20779 times
- Been thanked: 10462 times
- Contact:
Re: Bird Poo
Hi Alexandra,
Amusing thread, made me smile
We have alot of sparrows and other small birds in our garden too - birdies are good and we encourage them with a range of foods... One of them cr@pped on the etalon on my DS40 a year or so ago, whilst instilling panic initially sparrow poop is pretty small in size and quite dry stuff and as a result I just flicked it off and gave the etalon a wipe with my trusty handkerchief (I can sense the horror from some of you!). All was ok with this...
I can imagine something like seagull poop is a different matter and would require a more 'robust' and 'thorough' cleaning process. A seagull cr@pped on me when I was at work the other week - we 'patrol' the school field and yard on a lunchtime to make sure the little kiddy winkles are all behaving themselves, however we have a landfill site a mile or so away (aren't I painting a lovely picture of where I live!) and so on a lunchtime all the resident seagulls flock over to scavenge on all the waste food the children have dropped (littered). Anyway, whilst walking along with a couple of colleagues chatting from nowhere all of a sudden a seagull had managed to cr@p straight across my chest - and just to make it even better had a black shirt on The only positive from this was not one of the several hundred pupils who were out there saw it, and as a result only had to suffer ridicule from my wark mates and not the pupils.
Anyway, there are preventative measures you could take if you so wish Alexandra... You could make a 'dew shield' to go over the end of your etalon. A peice of black A3 card rolled into a tube should nicely go around the end of your etalon; this would require a remarkable dive bomb trajectory by any badly behaved goldfinches you have to penetrate defences and leave a mess on the face of the etalon... Alternatively there are more durable commercial options available if you like http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-pre ... hield.html I have a couple of these for different scopes I own and can recommend them.
HTH!
Mark
Amusing thread, made me smile
We have alot of sparrows and other small birds in our garden too - birdies are good and we encourage them with a range of foods... One of them cr@pped on the etalon on my DS40 a year or so ago, whilst instilling panic initially sparrow poop is pretty small in size and quite dry stuff and as a result I just flicked it off and gave the etalon a wipe with my trusty handkerchief (I can sense the horror from some of you!). All was ok with this...
I can imagine something like seagull poop is a different matter and would require a more 'robust' and 'thorough' cleaning process. A seagull cr@pped on me when I was at work the other week - we 'patrol' the school field and yard on a lunchtime to make sure the little kiddy winkles are all behaving themselves, however we have a landfill site a mile or so away (aren't I painting a lovely picture of where I live!) and so on a lunchtime all the resident seagulls flock over to scavenge on all the waste food the children have dropped (littered). Anyway, whilst walking along with a couple of colleagues chatting from nowhere all of a sudden a seagull had managed to cr@p straight across my chest - and just to make it even better had a black shirt on The only positive from this was not one of the several hundred pupils who were out there saw it, and as a result only had to suffer ridicule from my wark mates and not the pupils.
Anyway, there are preventative measures you could take if you so wish Alexandra... You could make a 'dew shield' to go over the end of your etalon. A peice of black A3 card rolled into a tube should nicely go around the end of your etalon; this would require a remarkable dive bomb trajectory by any badly behaved goldfinches you have to penetrate defences and leave a mess on the face of the etalon... Alternatively there are more durable commercial options available if you like http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-pre ... hield.html I have a couple of these for different scopes I own and can recommend them.
HTH!
Mark
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
- swisswalter
- Way More Fun to Share It!!
- Posts: 17948
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
- Location: Switzerland
- Been thanked: 1 time
- Contact:
Re: Bird Poo
; this would require a remarkable dive bomb trajectory by any badly behaved goldfinches you have to penetrate defences and leave a mess on the face of the etalon...
Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
- Montana
- Librarian
- Posts: 34721
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
- Location: Cheshire, UK
- Has thanked: 17970 times
- Been thanked: 8904 times
Re: Bird Poo
Thanks everyone!
Mark sorry, I couldn't stop laughing
It's great to have an emergency kit at the ready, I guess this is not a problem for night time astronomers. It has only started to be my worry since I got the 100mm Ha, it is one very big and expensive target!
Alexandra
Mark sorry, I couldn't stop laughing
It's great to have an emergency kit at the ready, I guess this is not a problem for night time astronomers. It has only started to be my worry since I got the 100mm Ha, it is one very big and expensive target!
Alexandra
- Montana
- Librarian
- Posts: 34721
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
- Location: Cheshire, UK
- Has thanked: 17970 times
- Been thanked: 8904 times
Re: Bird Poo
Walter, where do I find your recipe?
We have ethanol at 99.8% and usually dilute it a bit, so 96% is good I see.
Alexandra
We have ethanol at 99.8% and usually dilute it a bit, so 96% is good I see.
Alexandra
Re: Bird Poo
Mark, Back in about 1982 I had a full head of hair. A seagull crapped on the top and back of my head. I now am bald enough there to make it appear I have a built in Yamuka (sp). I probably could convert easily.
Well, that's my bald excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Well, that's my bald excuse and I'm sticking to it.
- solarchat
- Site Admin
- Posts: 4379
- Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:10 pm
- Location: Atlanta, GA USA
- Has thanked: 84 times
- Been thanked: 1382 times
- Contact:
Re: Bird Poo
This topic is really "for the birds"
Stephen W. Ramsden
Atlanta, GA USA
Founder/Director Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
http://www.solarastronomy.org
Atlanta, GA USA
Founder/Director Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
http://www.solarastronomy.org
Re: Bird Poo
This topic is really "for the birds"
Thank you. Thank you very much. We're here all week!
Thank you. Thank you very much. We're here all week!
- swisswalter
- Way More Fun to Share It!!
- Posts: 17948
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
- Location: Switzerland
- Been thanked: 1 time
- Contact:
Re: Bird Poo
Hi Alexandra
that's what I wrote some time ago
My lens cleaning fluid is by weight:
20% distilled water,
40% ethanol,
40% isopropanol
Never ever use detergents. They leave traces.
For me it works on lenses and on the chips of the CCD's
that's what I wrote some time ago
My lens cleaning fluid is by weight:
20% distilled water,
40% ethanol,
40% isopropanol
Never ever use detergents. They leave traces.
For me it works on lenses and on the chips of the CCD's
Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa