July 31 2008

4:00 am

A triple-shot cannon is firing at intervals of 2-3 minutes. It is still pitch black, no sounds of birds. Seems to be coming from NE about 3 miles.

8:30 am
Light rain.

Grower monitoring.

12 noon

Grower monitoring.

1:00 pm

I monitored briefly the northwest corner.

Observed 6 robins, 4 finches, no starlings. Bird activity still seems to center on north end of field.

4:30 pm
Overcast, no wind, light rain.
I drove north end of field.

Observed 9 robins, 8 finches, 3 starlings.

6:45 pm

Cannons in the county active to the north, northeast and southeast.

7:00 pm
Wind out of northeast.

I monitored north end field.

Observed 9 robins, 4 finches; 0 starlings.

Lots of cannons going off in north county.

In my opinion with the changing weather, Starlings are hunkering down. They are much less prevalent out in the open, telephone lines, etc., guessing they are hold up in barns, trees, till weather passes.

7:10 pm
"My" hawk is scoulding my presence near the east edge of the field. It's fledgling is crying nearby.

10:30 pm
I hear 2 triple-shooters going off. Sounds like they are coming from the northeast part of the county. I got out of bed to locate. Did find, three miles NE from my home. Recorded on video/audio. They kept firing into early morning or beyond. This is the 5th night in 2 weeks this grower has shot of his cannons during night.

CS

REMEMBER: The villain is the Starling. It is not the grower (excepting one).