July 9 2008

9:50 am

I assembled 2 Helikites. Took 1 hour. Filled these Helikites and deployed in the field, each about 1/4 way in from the south end and north end. Took 20 minutes.

Took all but one of the JacKites down. Set poles and birds up under the blueberry bushes. Took 35 minutes.

Observed on flock of about 12 Starlings taking off and landing in the north/center part of the field. There were no JacKites near that area. Not sure that would have mattered?

Observed 10-15 robins coming and going from the field. Most were returning to my woods.

Observed 10-15 Purple finches, and 1 Cedar Waxwing.

I hope to get the squawkers syncronized (turned on and off) with the putting up and taking down of the JacKites, this to link their bird of prey sounds with the JacKites.

Reflection: I am not sure, but I feel like the squawkers and JacKites were up too long in one deployment stretch. Squawkers were started on the 3rd and running into today the 9th (7-days). The JacKites were up on the 4th and took down today (6-days). It's a hunch, but I think they both should have been shut/took down after 4-days of operation, and restarted after 1 or 2 days. Anyway...we're now starting to rotate the various devices and their location placements.

Ripening berries are increasing faster now.

7:00 pm

Turned off squawkers, and took down the 2 Helikites. Took 30 minutes.

Observed around 15-20 robins, and 10-15 finches in the field. No Starlings.

CS

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