A method of scaring birds and animals includes launching a bird-scaring device in a substantially vertical manner and periodically causing the device to circle in the air in substantially opposite directions. The valve includes a base having a mounting surface configured to mount to the analytic instrument. An image of the distribution of virtual magnetic charge on the carrier of magnetic media is obtained through deconvolution of the image of the response function of the magnetoresistive transducer and the raw readback signal.