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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General > Hunting Gate

Starlings

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Smaug2:
In this area, the starling chicks have fledged and are starting to make a nuisance of themselves.

I have a very popular big mulberry tree in my back yard. It attracts Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Gray Squirrels and European Starlings.

I can always tell when they arrive without even looking up, as they are such noisy birds. When I hear them storming into the tree and driving off the Cedar Waxwings and robins, I fetch the Compatto and get some practice in for squirrel season. It is QUITE challenging to pick them out of the tree full of leaves while shooting almost straight up. Half the shots are standing offhand, and half are sitting on the floor, semi-braced on a sliding door. Nevertheless, I got probably a dozen of them in the last couple weeks. Squirrels are EASY compared to starlings. The shots are between 15 and 20 yards.

The Compatto was set on low power (~12.5 FPE) and shooting Baracuda Hunters. They really make a satisfying POK! when they hit center of mass on these skyrats. Then, a satisfying WHUMP! when they hit the lawn. Sometimes, the pellets exit, other times not, but they always have enough energy and expansion to throw a monkey wrench in their clockwork.



On a good morning, in the space of an hour, I can get 4 or 5. I pop one, they all fly off. They've no idea what happened, but the noise scared them. They're back in 5-10 minutes. POK! another one goes down. Back in 20 minutes. Then, the day starts to warm up and they don't show up as often.

Get after 'em early guys, before they get smart.

BenjiHunter:
Great shooting.
Starlings are nasty birds.

Tater:
Nice shooting there Jeremy.

SagaciousKJB:
Wow never seen starlings look like this. I'm guessing that's due to their age?

Good shooting!

Mackado:
Good shooting!

never seen them in this color either so I looked them up, they call these "Transitional juveniles" Starlin, the juveniles in my area are light brown without the visible spots or yellow beak, they are hard to ID for sure unless you see them in a flock with adults, also learned they change plumage colors when breeding.  ???

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