Ollie ruffles feathers at golf course

Ollie the owl, as he is affectionately known by staff, was installed by course superintendent Darren Wilson after he became frustrated with the damage caused to the putting greens by flocks of up to 200 corellas.

Mr Wilson said the course unsuccessfully tried installing feeding bins on the other side of the green and traps for the birds in a bid to stop them digging up the grass.

‘We were spending all day fixing the holes so the players had a good putting surface,’ Mr Wilson said.

‘I was at a loose end with all the damage and I just saw the owl in Bunnings and thought ‘why not’.’

Mr Wilson said when he erected Ollie in January on the Tuart course, which was the worst affected by the corellas, the birds immediately avoided the area.

The course now has three more Ollies stationed at other greens to deter the cockatoos, but Mr Wilson said they had to occasionally replace them because they were being stolen.

‘December will be the telling time because that’s when the flocks of 200 will come through,’ he said.