For some reason this year the sparrow #'s around here are out of control. I normaly have to remove 4-6 during the summer. Not what I would call a big problem. But this year it's like walmart parking lot around here!
If that ain't enough, yesterday morning I look out to see a pyball male sparrow displaying on my BB house. Now they're starting to dress up! He looked like he was going to prom or something!
I have to admit, even though he "IS" a rat bird, he's kinda cool to look at. But make no mistake, given the chance, I'm taking him out!
I've got more here this year that I've had since ridding our place of nearly 300 early in my Martin career. I've shot 5 or 6 and every time I shoot one, another or two shows up.
I don't care if they're on my Martin gourd racks, a Bluebird box or trying to nest in the eve of a barn. I don't clip wings or tear out nests. I terminate them with extreme prejudice. Regardless of where they nest, they are nesting somewhere one of our native cavity nesting birds could be nesting. There are no good House Sparrows, they all die around here.
High quality plastic gourds with porched, tunnelled SREH are Martin magnets.
I was thinking the same thing James!
Hey Brad, You don't have to bite your tongue with us! We're all home folks here. Just say how you realy feel!
It's a good thing for them I live in this neighborhood and can't just shoot at will.
Gobbler, I love living in the country. I get to shoot them with whatever I have handy. The first 2 I killed this year I shot with one of my 20 gauge shotguns. The rest have been with my .22 shooting subsonic ammo. They are getting gun shy now so it's time to break out the 17HMR for some longer range sniping.
High quality plastic gourds with porched, tunnelled SREH are Martin magnets.
I live out in the county, about 12 miles from the city limits but I'm smack dab in the middle of a subdivision. I would love to be able to break the ole 22 out.
Northeast AL, in Marshall county. In the middle of a subdivision would sure put a damper on shooting. I live on a farm, we don't have neighbors to the east or south so those 2 directions I shoot anything. I have to pick my shots and watch what gun I shoot the other 2 directions. In AL if you are outside the city limits and aren't in the police jurisdiction you can fire away at will. We are in the police jurisdiction but the city whose jurisdiction we are in, does not prohibit shooting in the police jurisdiction.
High quality plastic gourds with porched, tunnelled SREH are Martin magnets.
Hey Gobbler T, that Will must be a bad sort of fellow; everybody wants to shoot at him. Hope he doesn't come around here. Meanwhile I still haven't seen any martins at my house; there's a snow on the ground right now and 36 degrees. Strange spring here in E. Tenn. Good Luck, once more to all.
The S&S Gang of Scumbeaks invaded my little slice of country paradise this morning too. The HOSPs engaged my BBs, took over their house, then the rest of the gang moved on to the Gilbertson BB house occupied by Chickadees and did the same. GRR!! They ran off the native birds who were breakfasting on safflower seed by my patio too!! Of course they don't like safflower seed, big bullies! I can see how they are so successful b/c they fight like a gang. One or two engage the nesting birds and another one or two take over the nest box. ...BUT... I temporarily plugged the BB houses (no eggs yet) and set the PMCA S&S nestbox trap and a Gilbertson trap. I have trapped 2 European Starlings and 3 HOSPs in 2 hours. It's a new record for me! All were terminated except for 2 HOSP (male and female) which I placed in the PMCA repeating bait trap to see if they would lure more in. Traps remain active and monitored, and the native nesting birds are back to business as usual. I am Director of Homebird Security in my tiny empire. Oh yeah, the new air rifle is arriving tomorrow!
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Thanks! I will guard my PMs as fiercely! (when they arrive)
Mary
~Mary B~
Lifelong PM Admirer and Nature Enthusiast.
Ruthless trapper of S&S year round.
2013-2016 Unsuccessful at starting a PM colony. Health problems.
Rehomed all my PM stuff. Good Luck and Best Wishes to All.
Brad tell how you really feel about those sparrows.
I would love to be able to break the ole 22 out.
...BUT... I temporarily plugged the BB houses (no eggs yet) and set the PMCA S&S nestbox trap and a Gilbertson trap. I have trapped 2 European Starlings and 3 HOSPs in 2 hours. It's a new record for me! All were terminated except for 2 HOSP (male and female) which I placed in the PMCA repeating bait trap to see if they would lure more in. Traps remain active and monitored, and the native nesting birds are back to business as usual.