Browning Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 This year seems to have seen a much larger population of Starlings in my corner of Oxfordshire, and about 500 of the greasy, smelly, noisy little &£^£%"$! have taken it upon themselves to roost in two large fir trees next to our bedroom window. Apart from ******** everywhere and making a right royal racket from first light every day, they have cleared our garden of all "nice" birds. Bearing in mind we live in a nice quiet village, and have neighbours to think of, does anyone have any ideas on encouraging them to "relocate"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dolly_daydream Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 This year seems to have seen a much larger population of Starlings in my corner of Oxfordshire, and about500 of the greasy, smelly, noisy little &£^£%"$! have taken it upon themselves to roost in two large fir trees next to our bedroom window. Apart from ******** everywhere and making a right royal racket from first light every day, they have cleared our garden of all "nice" birds. Bearing in mind we live in a nice quiet village, and have neighbours to think of, does anyone have any ideas on encouraging them to "relocate"? get a cat trust me they'll ****** off with a cat lurking around your yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunk Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 This year seems to have seen a much larger population of Starlings in my corner of Oxfordshire, and about500 of the greasy, smelly, noisy little &£^£%"$! have taken it upon themselves to roost in two large fir trees next to our bedroom window. Apart from ******** everywhere and making a right royal racket from first light every day, they have cleared our garden of all "nice" birds. Bearing in mind we live in a nice quiet village, and have neighbours to think of, does anyone have any ideas on encouraging them to "relocate"? A plastic hawk hanging from a pole? They have been off the general license for a number of years cos numbers have declined. Back with a vengeance now. I keep getting asked to shoot them at farms as they keep fouling animal feed and causing illness in the stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted January 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 get a cat trust me they'll ****** off with a cat lurking around your yard. The farm next door has half a dozen moggies.......and still we have starlings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Outlaw Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Wrap you trees in greenhouse netting then they cant roost so easy. Failing that cut the the trees down, as usual we are trying to rid ourselves of aliens from Asia Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 a couple of fireworks make under the trees at dusk will shift em...nothing fancy....just a packet of airbombs. 2 consecutive nights of that and they will be gone...... did it myself..worked a treat.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustyfox Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 try and kill a couple of them then hang em up in the trees that they are roosting in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 try and kill a couple of them then hang em up in the trees that they are roosting in. Starlings were taken OFF the general license and as far as I am aware are STILL off the general license so unless you have a licence from DEFRA i think it'as actually classed as illegal to kill them. If I am wrong then no doubt the lads will put me right but better to air on the side of caution Netting or cutting the tree are better ways forward than resorting to killing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 try and kill a couple of them then hang em up in the trees that they are roosting in. Starlings were taken OFF the general license and as far as I am aware are STILL off the general license so unless you have a licence from DEFRA i think it'as actually classed as illegal to kill them. If I am wrong then no doubt the lads will put me right but better to air on the side of caution Netting or cutting the tree are better ways forward than resorting to killing them. it isnt illgal in scotland Lew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustyfox Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 shall i send them through the post then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trakker01 Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 They dont usully hang around if there aint no food, & try the 410 shotty, a couple of times , & have there corpses hung some where discreet, they won't hang around then !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 try and kill a couple of them then hang em up in the trees that they are roosting in. Starlings were taken OFF the general license and as far as I am aware are STILL off the general license so unless you have a licence from DEFRA i think it'as actually classed as illegal to kill them. If I am wrong then no doubt the lads will put me right but better to air on the side of caution Netting or cutting the tree are better ways forward than resorting to killing them. it isnt illgal in scotland Lew I realise Scotland is now a Devolved DEFRA area BUT Browning lives in OXFORD and falls under UK legislation hence the warning Again I point ENGLISH members to the General Licence and the fact Starlings are NOT ON there. Shooting of Starlings CAN lead to prosecution if you do not stick to the rules of the General License http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countrysi...gen-licence.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackthorn Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 shall i send them through the post then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 unlucky boys (in england) Lew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I'd hang a half rope of crow bangers in the tree at dusk for a few days in a row, that should annoy them enough for them to ****** off somewhere else. If you let your close neighbours know what's going on then they can ignore the bangs I'm sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highseas Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 what if a brace "flew in to the window" then got hung up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead-eye Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 weve got hundreds of them in our cow shed they make a rite mess somone should start a petition to get them back on the general licence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 I'd hang a half rope of crow bangers in the tree at dusk for a few days in a row, that should annoy them enough for them to ****** off somewhere else. If you let your close neighbours know what's going on then they can ignore the bangs I'm sure I'd be in the nick in no time; my neighbours, left, right and rear are all 'bird lovers'*. The new one is gonna 'feed the woodies to death' by the looks of it! I bet I'll get the blame. *Edited for Ferret Master: They are the worst type of bird lovers. They feed magpies and attract squirrels. There are no songbirds in our gardens. Like your Gran, I would love to see tits and the like in my garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 You can have bird lovers and shooters though. My Gran has several large seed and nut feeders that are emptied daily by blue tits, great tits, coal tits, willow tits, long tailed tits, greenfinches, goldfinches, chaffinches, bullfinches, nuthatches, greater spotted woodpeckers as well as many more smaller birds. I counted all the afore mentioned species during a 10 minute stakeout for a squirrel that was pillaging the peanuts. There are also over a dozen pheasants getting fat under the feeders as well as plenty of woodpigeon, magpies and rabbits which are all fair game. Infact I think the pheasants will be perfect in about a week. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildbill Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Learn the language of the starlings, establish a bond, then breed wih their women, then, in time your differences shall smooth out............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_phillips95 Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Learn the language of the starlings, establish a bond, then breed wih their women, then, in time your differences shall smooth out............. starlings have many different languages as they copy other birds songs, doesnt seem like a quick fix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quist Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 The only way you can legally shoot them that I know of is on or in the vicinity of an airport on the instruction of either the manager or the ministry of defence for the purposes of preserving air safety. Natural England issue a general license for this purpose which includes: Canada goose crow greater and lesser black backed gulls herring gull mallard feral pigeon rook starling woodpigeon Within the perimter of the aerodrome you can also be instructed to kill and destroy nests of collared dove blackheaded gull# common gull jackdaw lapwing magpie You can also kill feral pigeons using night or artificial lights and use traps to catch certain species. PERSONS RELYING ON THIS LICENSE MUST BE SATISFIED THAT NONLETHAL METHODS OF RESOLVING THE PROBLEM AER EITHER INNEFECTIVE OR IMPRACTICABLE. There are a number of other terms and conditions and if you are going to follow this route up, you can find the complete license on the Natural England/Defra website You still cant use lead shot on geese for instance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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