Well, one starling accidentally landed in the back, then jumped up on the fence. I had to make sure I had a good backstop, which was tricky. I also had to shoot quick because, oddly (heh!), the starlings are less inclined to hang around my back yard. To make things more interesting, I was also shooting at 9 fence panels out. Pretty much the longest shot I can take in the yard, corner to corner.
I set up my shot fast, took a breath as I consciously loosened my grip and squeezed the trigger. He fell over the fence in a puff of feathers. I could also hear the pellet hitting the fence behind him out another 20 yds back. That pellet didn't drop much, as my angle would have only had it hitting that fence about 6" up. I don't like those shots, but it was set up pretty well. I trotted out and opened the gate to find Mr. Starling on his back gasping. I had literally blown his back out at the wing. I used to stand on them until they expired, but I now just hold them tightly so they can't breathe to ease their passing. It's a little unpleasant for me, but I felt that the other way was just a little too *disrespectful*, if that makes any sense.
The more of those critters I kill, the more respect I have for their toughness and intelligence. I understand all the more why they need to be exterminated even as I am awed by their evolutionary effectiveness.
The sparrows are breeding now. I can hear them all over the neighborhood. One in the house across from me. I failed to get the pair I mentioned prior before they hatched eggs. Now I don't want to kill them only to have a stinking nest of dead baby birds outside my window. This presents me with a problem.
There are lots of sparrows aggressively feeding. If I want to control them, I need to do so now. But I don't want to kill the pair in the wall.
Well, here's what I'm doing. I'm putting down a bit of cracked corn at about 12 yards. Not a long shot, but they aren't big birds. I set up on it at around the prime sparrow feeding times in the morning and afternoon. I wait and I watch.
If the bird comes in from the south, he lives. If he comes in from another angle I do my best to kill him. I've managed to kill about 7 in the past week or so, and still left the nesting pair intact.
Now, the chicks are getting bigger so if I accidentally kill one or both parents, they'll likely jump out of the wall to be taken care of by me or the neighborhood cats. If not, it's a near sure thing that they'll come right to the feeder and die within a week.
The trick with the sparrows is cracked corn and occasional bread, I think. They'll eat sunflower seed, but they really like bread and corn.
