Last Year

Last year was a success.

During 2006, two “3-Shot” Lp cannon units (each firing separately) emitted over 52,000 explosions between late June and early August. As a contrast, last year’s 2007 season, use of cannons was reduced to less than 1,500 explosions - a 93% reduction. Also cannon use went from a 6 am-8 pm, 7-day/week throughout the whole season for 2006, to 8:30 am-11:30 am on only 4-days for 2007.

Why?

We think it was due to a number of things.

First the prior winter was a harsh one. We had quite a wind, snow and single digit degree period in November 2006. My guess is a good percentage of Starlings died, or when elsewhere.

Second, we (the grower and myself) chose to use a couple objects that were recommended to me by blueberry growers. We deployed 10 “Peregrine” JacKites and 2 “Vigilante” Helikites throughout the 10-acre field. More on these devices in a subsequent posting.

Third, we altered to some extent, the location and frequency of the devices during the ripening period. This addressed the issue of habituation.

Fourth, the grower was much more open to the concept that "We're just not going to prevent every bird from visiting the field." He realized he would loose a certain percentage and would have to accept this as a reality.

Fifth, there were a few more field workers in the field for a longer period of time during ripening. Their presence helped.

What a remarkable thing this was. An almost complete reduction of Lp cannons! The summer was joyous. Dread of what was going to start at 6 am and run all day long, subsided. You could go into the garden or woods or the fields nearby, without being blasted every 3-minutes.

Okay that was last year. Now we have this year to contend with.

My plan is with my blueberry grower neighbor, to develop a 50-Day Starling Management Plan. It will deploy the "kites" and other devices on an every-other-day or every 3-day basis. We will alter the number, location, configuration of the devices on a frequent basis, this to keep the Starlings wary, preventing habituation.

So in subsquent posts on Creative Alternatives to Lp Cannons, I hope to offer a chronological description with what happens, what we do, and what the observed results may be. I will try to keep track of Starling behavior activity (before and during deployment), environmental, the amount of time it takes to do the Plan, and other things.

CS

REMEMBER: The villain is the Starling. It is not the grower!