We had the same problem in our yard and only found one solution that worked for us: metallic-colored pinwheels. We tried netting, that didn't deter them. Straw blew away. The burlap prevented our grass from growing to its full potential. Then, at the suggestion of a friend, we tried pinwheels. They worked alright, but we noticed the birds most avoided the areas with the pinwheels that reflected the sunlight. We bought several pinwheels that were grey or "sparkly" and we knew would reflect the sun. Our bird problem stopped!
