Any seeing fewer starlings this year?

[Steven Spencer]

I've eliminated only 2 starlings this year so far. This time last year I "removed" 10. Maybe it is the cold weather we've had so far, or maybe word got out in the starling community about my sharpshooting skills!

[Guest]

O.H.N.

[zoefluf]

Actually, I've seen more starlings this year than in any year past. Perhaps because I live in the South and the weather is much nicer here than it is up North. Hmmm, I wonder if they migrate South for the winter or just stay put wherever they are? I do know that I see them year round here, but the numbers seem to be greater in the spring. I'm sure someone on this site is much more knowledgeable about them than I am.
Jeanne

[Steve Kroenke]

Hey Steven,

I have seen fewer starlings up here, too. I trapped 6 back in November, December and January. Then I shot a male starling in mid-February. I do occasionally see one fly high over our colonies, but they tend to keep on going.

Last year I trapped 13 starlings before the martins arrived and didn't shoot any starlings for the remainder of the season.

We don't have many starling problems any way and they are easily controlled via trapping/shooting.

Ursula Scott, who has a large martin colony located about 6 miles northwest of us, told me they have trapped one starling and shot only two this season so far. The Scotts have a minor problem with starlings just like we do.

Steve

[Guest]

Not here. Seems as I see alot od starlings around me, as I have open land with schools and farming.
I also have a male starling breach a SG cresant entry yesterday, a first at my colony

[Steven Spencer]

Maybe I'm the exception here. Numbers have slowly increased from 0 "snipered" 3 years ago to 10 last year by this time. They will probably start moving around more once the weather moderates a little. I'm in a rural area and fortunately don't have a big problem with them. Now hawks.......that's a whole different story!

[Guest]

Certainly no shortage here in Joplin Mo......Would be glad to send some your way

[Joe Zorn]

I don't know about more or less. There are a lot every morning, my wife says. On weekends, I do what I can to thin out the population

Steve, I suspect every martin south of Little Rock and East of Dallas knows to stay away from your sawed off shutgun! I'm surprised they ever show themselves way up high! I still think about how you thinned out the population after you moved there from Florida several years ago.

[Jeff Robinson]

My numbers are down this Spring, but that could have something to do with their wariness of that .22 picking em off from the slightly cracked open sliding door overlooking Bedrock. I picked off 42 starlings and 2 male sparrows sitting on my Goliad with females last Spring. The female sparrows never returned. I kept up my starling practice throughout this winter around my bird feeders, so persistence might be paying off.

Got the seedblocks hanging too - what starlings do show up are toast, and the Bluejays, who love the seed/fruit mix blocks, will soon be my early warning devices for the Cooper's hawks that hang around and harass my area.

[Tim Stover]

my neighbor has all them i finally got the nerve and ask if i could fix his garage and out buildings they are infested with starlings not any more i spent all weekend on them fixed every hole starlings are goin crazy this morning some are even brave enough to land on my bird houses very bad mistake this should help my area rite.is there any way tellin male from female

[FlaSpartan]

Unfortunately, numbers are up here in central Florida. In past years we never saw more than two and they quickly moved on. This morning my husband trapped our third (his buddy got scared off) and he says he's beginning to feel like Dexter

[Steven Spencer]

FlaSpartan, do you mean your husband dismembers only the starlings that deserve to die? Ha Ha I love that show!

[KathyF]

I started to post yesterday and say 'yes', the numbers have been down. But this morning, I would have had to edit my post. Because I converted to Conley II entrances on all my Troyers last year, and still having my trendsetter doors closed, today I caught 2 starlings in my S&S controller.

And 3 more landed but didn't stick around long enough to try out the same ride as their friends!

I'm sure they'll all be back tomorrow morning and will try it. For the last 2 years myself and my 2 neighbors have been thinning the herd with guns - first year, we killed ~125 in the local 2 mile radius. Second year, we killed maybe 40. This year, I'm doing more trapping right now, guns will come out later when the martins get here...if there are any left to shoot!

[Guest]

I am at my son's this morning and there's at least 40-50 Starlings in his back yard, and all over his Martin houses.

[FlaSpartan]

Steve - Yes and he takes his boat out on the water and disposes of their bodies!

[Guest]

Steve - Yes and he takes his boat out on the water and disposes of their bodies!

Trot line bait. Never crossed my mind.

[DaveHRRTX]

No shortage of Starlings or Grackles here. In fact, they may be the most ever.

Fortunately they seem to be avoiding my PM house and not roosting in the trees here.

Hoping it stays that way. I have SREH crescents and I mounted some porches on the two attic dormers on my house. So far the Starlings have not made it inside.

Dave RRTX