Starlings

[steg]

Yep they are the messiest most pain in the butt bird that we have around here, and believe me I did my darnest to thin em out, to no avail, but I did find one thing they were good for, they eat the grubs in your lawn, if they don't, the grubs become really appealing  to skunks, and since I quit interrupting the starlings from eating them, I seldom get nighttime visits from mr skunk, just thought I'd let you know if you didn't know allready...................steg

[streak]

They can be a big PITA! Especially around some courthouses and hotels down south!Boy can they spot up a place and make it 'dangerous" walking under trees after sundown. Back in my college days I stalked them with bow and arrow and you have not seen anything until you see an arrow topped with a blunt .38 case from a fifty pound bow connect with a starling!
They are also predator birds on other birds and their young!

[steg]

I've been there and done that, slingshots too, I was only pointing out their one good thing, and I know the bad outweighs the good with these critters, I just decided I would rather put up with them than the skunks. Nothing like a hot summer night, windows open, fans blowing and you sit sraight up in bed after a visit, then what I did was put a pot of vinegar on the stove, don't know if it overpowers the smell or cancels it out, but it works..........steg

[Larry Gibson]

I don't have the skunk problem or grubs in my lawn to worry about but the starlings created a mess by tearing the screening off the vent hole under the eves and nesting in my attic, made a real mess.  I replaced the flimsy screaning with some stout stuff and they still tried to tear it up.  War was declared.  In the first year I shot 67 of the off the eves of my house.  They withdrew, reorganised and attacked in full for in the next spring offensive.  However, I was ready for the little buggers!  I hung a couple blocks of peanut butter suet in one of those wire thingies exactly 20 yards from my "hide" (kitchen sliding door).  It was an excellent ruse and diversion as the buggers couldn't resist.  I would leave the door cracked enough to slip the barrel of my RWS M54 .22 cal or my R9 20 cal out of.  I managed to kill 2 - 3 every morning for several weeks then they withdrew.  The following spring they tried another offensive but I could tell I was winning as their numbers were depleted.  I believe they either learn or communicate somehow as I rarely have a starling in my yard or on my house.  The neighbors still have them but I don't.  One neighbor said he heard a couple talking and one said "hey, don't go over there...charlie did and we ain't seen him since...."

Larry Gibson

[steg]

Ya gotta watch those starlings, can't trust em, actually every once and a wile I'll shoot a few with the Winchester 350, when my neighbor runs a little low on feed for his Hawk, Red Tail, beautiful bird, he is one of a few Master Falconers here in PA, he shoots em too.