[birdky] Starling Harassment Successful

Last Saturday I had time to observe the purple martins for the first
time in a week it seemed.  I immediately noticed a starling poking his
head out of the top gourd on the rack.  I ran out and spooked him out of
the gourd.  Unfortunately the starling had thrown the first martin egg
out of the gourd.  I had to spook the bird another 4 or 5 times that
morning and then again in the evening.  He stayed away during mid-day.
Sunday morning was the same routine.  Out of desperation I loaded the
shotgun and shot at the pair of starlings in the walnut tree across the
road which is where they would stage their attacks.  To my dismay, I
missed.  I guess a light load of # 7 steel shot does not produce a dense
enough pattern at 20 yards.  Sunday evening, Monday morning and evening
required more scare tactics but the starling was not as persistent by
then.  I spooked the starling out of the gourd once on Tuesday morning
and he has not been back.  Four mornings and evenings of harassment
finally led to victory for me and the martins.  Martins are using the
gourd again.  I had no problems from starlings at this site during the 4
previous nesting seasons so I never considered modifying the round
entrances to exclude starlings.  Starling resistant entrances may be in
my future though.

 

Scott Freidhof

Rowan County

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