Aussie Finch Forum

Ahhhh Grasshopper

Before you can catch the grasshopper you must learn to think like a grasshopper. Be the grasshopper!

(spoke like in the david carradine "kung fu" series) sounds wise when an old chinese kungfu mentor says it I imagine. ha ha

You use a butterfly to catch . . butterflies

You use a fish net to catch . . fish

What you need is a grasshopper net




But don't ask me where you would get one

PS What would you catch with a mist net

Which ever way you go...pleeaassee get someone to video it!

Shark wrote:Ahhhh Grasshopper

Before you can catch the grasshopper you must learn to think like a grasshopper. Be the grasshopper!

(spoke like in the david carradine "kung fu" series) sounds wise when an old chinese kungfu mentor says it I imagine. ha ha

I love the "Kung Fu" series. In fact I recently borrowed the series on DVD from a friend. It's perfect to watch if you wake in the middle of the night.

arthur wrote:What would you catch with a mist net

Nothing.

bluebutterfly213 wrote:Which ever way you go...pleeaassee get someone to video it!

Not happening. I'm afraid you're imagination will have to do.

Sam i will try and get you a big large smalle gauge net here from work.

Sam,

How did you go catching the grasshoppers and did the birds eat them?

Where are the photos?

Biological supply companies will have butterfly nets, dats where mine came from. We used to amuse the locals racing about on the mudflats after the big green flyers........................now I breed crickets - to hell with the grasshoppers a pursuit for the youger finchos me thinks!!!!!!

Have you tried laying on the driveway and acting like grass????

Danny wrote:Have you tried laying on the driveway and acting like grass????

No, can't hurt to give it a go though! I'm no expert on grass, can you explain how grass acts?
Based on shark's advice I did try hopping around the paddock waving arms just like a grasshopper in the hope they'd all follow along and I could lead them straight into the aviary - pied piper style. Sadly another failed strategy (and even more sadly, I forgot to take photos - oops sorry). Every strategy ruled out gets us just that bit closer to a solution!

I catch quite a few green grasshoppers by using a 45 cm wide, and 60 cm deep, fine net with a 60 cm handle, and sweeping it through the grass in a figure of 8 motion, in front of me when I walk through the long grass. Once sweeping is halted I throttle the net so they don't get out. Some escape the catching swipes but I get quite a few using this method. All the softbills love them.