One benefit of living in the "country"

[Paul Stein]

Sitting here earlier watching the martins that have arrived (4 females and 2 males so far) enjoying my first cup of coffee and I see a starling fly up and sit on one of the racks like he is family or something. He went over to the trio house and after a quick look over started checking out the rooms. I just waited for him to get a pattern of going in and out of the holes and walked out, waited for him to hop back out on the support bar and introduced him to 12 guage 8 shot. Highly effective. I am very fortunate and over the 10 years living here have only seen 3 starlings and they met the same fate. All the martins live in the other rack in the gourds and hardly even look at the house much less use it. They flew around about 30 seconds and went back to the gourds like nothing ever happened. Hope everyone has a great year.Starting out good here. Paul

[msalcido]

Paul! Thanks for controlling those beasts! I found my first PM death this morning and I'm thinking it's due to a starling! I don't have a gun YET!!

[RC Moser]

I would like to be able to also shoot them with shotgun I have three skeet guns, automatic browning, and 1910 410 single shot. I just us my shotgun BB gun with No 9 shot on the fly.

[klcretired]

Hi Paul,
Bless you for Giving those Trash Beaks Pneumonia , continue the great work.
quite a few years ago 1995 I lost my Whole Colony to Trash beaks after My Loss I was Devastated and went on a Campaign against Trash Beaks , I purchased better Deeper Housing /Gourd Rack for protection, changed all entrances to sreh's bought , traps and guns w/ scopes, It took me awhile but Now i hardly ever see a Starling and no sparrows at all,
I can't Begin to tell you How Nice it is to see "ONLY MARTINS" on my housing and Gourd Rack Patience pays off and My Martins are Happy Happy Happy