Martins Finally Take Over

[Joe Creason KY]

After eliminating about a dozen starlings with my Gamo pellet gun, I have a bit of good news. One starling had built a nest three different times after I kept tearing it out. I watched several hours and the starling never once tried to take to another gourd. She never offered to attack any of the martins. About a week ago, I noticed that I had not seen the starling for a few days. Three days after that particular day, I noticed that one of the female martins and her companion had taken over the gourd. I have watched timelessly trying to see the starling and have not seen her or any other starlings on my gourd racks. I know that starlings have a mean streak in them to attack martins when things doesn't go their way. If she had attacked or even looked at one of the martins cross-eyed, then the Remington 20 gauge Wingmaster would have been to the rescue.

So all in all SCORE: Martins 1 ----- Starlings 0

Joe

[JL Murray]

Score 1 for the good guys!

[cbyeagley]

Good for you. I wish we would be so lucky. WE have had a trio of starlings dominating our T-14. We have torn nests out repeatedly, sometimes with eggs. My husband, Bill had an idea and this morning he waited until he knew the female was sitting on eggs, then took bird netting and placed it over the entrance. Then he carefully opened the door and put the netting over the female in the nest. He then drowned the female. The other two starlings are still hanging around, and I just watched one of them dive a female Martin to the ground, and all she was doing was sitting on one of the porches of the Quad Pod. They are mean little critters.

[John A Green Jr]

Joe,
I think I'm starting to reap the benefits of my constant vigilance too. I use to see S&S every day but now maybe once every 3-4 days. And I make sure that they RIP. It seems the more PM's I'm getting the less of them I see too. Had to take one out yesterday but had been days since I had seen one. Just got to keep taking out the trash.

[Joe Creason KY]

JL, I like when the martins score. That just makes the martin season a little sweeter.

CB, thanks for the post. Never give up and keep trapping and killing those filthy birds.

John, hope things are going well with your martin season. You are so right when you speak of taking them out. (The trash that is) I enjoy every time that ole' Gamo makes a pop. We (including my martin family) will prevail. I have always hated those filthy nasty birds. They seem to end up in the bone yard around here. It's kinda like the Tom Petty song:


Don't Come Round Here No More!!!



Thanks guys for posting and HAPPY MARTIN YEAR!!!!!!

Joe