Starlings

[Bartman]

Well I flew to a worksite on Wednesday and parked on the ramp.  I only planned to stay over night so did not bring the cabin cover or cowl plugs, but ended up staying another night.  I went out to the airport yesterday and my propeller looked like a well used bird perch that you see by the ocean, just covered with bird crap.  Decided to remove the cowl cover and of course there was a nest in progress, and even had to chase a Starling out of the tail feathers.  Put the cowl back on a flew around the patch as the sun set. I just went back out there just to check and of course the starlings are trying to make a home of my Mooney.  I cleaned it out again and did my best with some makeshift plugs and plan on taking off this evening.  This time I left the prop vertical rather than horizontal.

I now have a new appreciation and sympathy for those who have aircraft that live on the ramp. 

And those Starlings sure are aggressive !!!

[KSMooniac]

They infested my former hangar...thankfully moved up the upgrade list after many years and got into a great hangar free of those bastards. Kill all you can...they are an invasive species and not protected.

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[thinwing]

5mm scope mounted pellet gun,dummy owl with big eyes,rat traps,rubber snakes,ultra sonic bird bugger...I've tried it all..it's the spring time mating thing...the big issue is flying through a black crowd of them!

[MyNameIsNobody]

Best day was years ago in a group hanger. Five of those little darlings fell out of a nest. I accidentally stepped on all of them...They are truly the enemy at an airport.

[KSMooniac]

I saw plans for a "repeating nest box trap" that I was about to build before I upgraded hangars...it is a very novel solution to harvest those damn things!

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[BDPetersen]

On the positive side, according to a recent bit on the radio, they can learn to talk. Maybe cheaper than your parrot. Harrr!

[MyNameIsNobody]

Had they been saying "NOoooooo!" As the boot was approaching I may have just tossed them outside the group hanger....

Or not.  

Those little bastards were relentless until I got my private hanger.  If I see a porcupine or starling and have means to dispatch there is zero hesitation.

Bye Bye.  Someone else's torment averted.

[Marauder]

I carry this stuff with me in the Spring time. I have the guppy mouth on my Mooney (hopefully only until David finishes his mod) and use the pillow in plastic to plug that hole. For all the other areas, I use small foam that I put in ziplock bags to keep the foam dry.




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