Yesterday was a good day

[Bwana]

Been doing what I can to keep my mind occupied on pretty much anything but my son's upcoming appointments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN next Monday so yesterday that amounted to attending the longest pheasant tail feather hunt put on by the sportsman's club that I am a member of. The price is $20 per two man team for adults and free for kids. Teams for wherever they want to hunt but have to be back by 3 pm when tail feathers are measured. It is a 100% payback for the adults with all youth winners getting a prize between $25 and $50 plus a chili feed afterwards.

Long story short, my son, buddy, and I had our limit by 10 AM so we had more then a little time to kill (read, 4 plus hours) to help my 11 year old daughter try to get her first rooster. Though she was pretty bummed about not being able to drop a rooster, she did make a dandy shot on a STARLING. She must have watched her dad or something as she currently has the feet, wings, and tail pinned to a piece of cardboard and salted down with Borax to be displayed at a later date. (Mom doesn't know this yet.)

Anyway, here are a few shots of the day's hunt.

The morning's welcoming committee
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My son with my dog Dixie
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My buddy and our dogs
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My pup with her pup
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My gang
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The whole gang
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And to top it off this is the view from my driveway after the cleanup was done. A great sunset all while listening to two rooster pheasants discuss who was the better bird.
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[jb]

John, you have no idea how I miss doing that. Old legs just don't work like they use to.
That by far was my favorite type of hunting, enjoy it.

[Captain]

That is cool on so many levels. Congrats to wonderful time spent with your kids!

[BarryBobPosthole]

Hooty hoot Bwana!

BKB

[Arty]

Awesome stuff bwana. I'd love to do that one day

[Chicken Dinner]

That's the good stuff.

[HideHunter]

Congrats... but .. she didn't shoot a redwing blackbird. . she shot a starling. Congratulations on shooting the starling. . and don't show the "trophies" to anyone.:slaphead ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

Haha...good catch HH.

BKB

[Thumper]

Well, I'd say that Red-Winged Blackbird was obviously one of a very large group who were "thinking about" destroying that stubble field! ;)

They're a migratory bird ... but the authorities basically ignore any "thinning out" procedures.

Legal Status

Blackbirds are native migratory birds and thus come under the jurisdiction of the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a formal treaty with Canada and Mexico. Blackbirds are protected by Federal law (Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 21.43) in the United States except that they may be killed when found "committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance." Some States and local governments may have additional restrictions on killing blackbirds. Starlings and house sparrows were introduced from Europe and are not protected by Federal law. (My guess is that they are an official nuisance in the Dakotas)

[LJ3]

Still looks like a great time!

[HideHunter]

Well, I'd say that Red-Winged Blackbird was obviously one of a very large group who were "thinking about" destroying that stubble field! ;)

They're a migratory bird ... but the authorities basically ignore any "thinning out" procedures.

Legal Status



Blackbirds are native migratory birds and thus come under the jurisdiction of the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a formal treaty with Canada and Mexico. Blackbirds are protected by Federal law (Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 21.43) in the United States except that they may be killed when found "committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance." Some States and local governments may have additional restrictions on killing blackbirds. Starlings and house sparrows were introduced from Europe and are not protected by Federal law. (My guess is that they are an official nuisance in the Dakotas)

lol... That's good enough for me.. wonder what they taste like? :bulb

[Bwana]

Thanks for the heads-up HH , it was a starling. For what it is worth, it was a lone bird not taken from the FLOCK that only Thump seemed to notice. So much for being a group of Noticers, you have all been officially dropped several notches in Noticer status.

[Thumper]

Ha! You don't take hints very well! ;)

... when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance ... :biggrin

[HideHunter]

All kidding aside, that's the first I've heard of a federally protected species being listed as a "nuisance". Here in Iowa, if it's not a gamebird or an English sparrow or staring - it's a *songbird* and woe be to thee who shoots one. I know a guy who shot one out of a goose pit and two wardens were watching through binos. They came in and spent an hour finding the damn thing so they could fine him.. waste of resources and a bunch of crap. Anyway - congrats on a great day!

[Bwana]

So why can't I remove a picture?

[Captain]

We get it Sunny, we get it.

[Captain]

What picture you want down Bwana? Be glad to take it Down For ya'
However there should be no reason you cannot take it down? You should be able to edit all the text and image stuff in any thread or reply you post.

[Niner]

I hope the correct incorrect pic has vanished.

[LJ3]

So why can't I remove a picture?

You can remove attached images. You just have to select edit, then delete the text for that specific image.

[LJ3]

You can't remove nutin on here.
That's why I'm limiting my posts and tired of people quoting me.
So not going to post much.

Wait, what?

[Thumper]

To be honest, I think I've run into that same problem. I'd delete a pic from my post and it would reappear at the bottom of the post as an attachment. (or sumpin' like that)

[Big Muddy]

To be honest, I think I've run into that same problem. I'd delete a pic from my post and it would reappear at the bottom of the post as an attachment. (or sumpin' like that)

Click on the "Manage Attachments", and you can delete them from there.

[Niner]

"Manage attachments!"

[Thumper]

Sounds like I need to go to "manage attachments". ;)

[Big Muddy]

Sounds like I need to go to "manage attachments". ;)

Heck, Thump, I figured Lynn oughta be an expert at "managing your attachments", by now??? ;)

[Arty]

Heck, Thump, I figured Lynn oughta be an expert at "managing your attachments", by now??? ;)

As small as that thing is.... It shouldn't have taken her very long to figure out all the nuisances of it. :)

[Bwana]

Thanks Niner, you did right though still not sure there was a concern about a stupid starling.

As for the problem I was having, Thump nailed it. Tried to delete the pic but it showed up as an attachment at the bottom of the post.

Went into the "Manage Attachments" area and the darned thing didn't seem to want to let me do any deleting. Guess I will just have to rely on the Sys Op guys to cover me.

Here is a closeup of a portion of the Road Mob that I thought was sort of cool.
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[LJ3]

Dude... that many of ANYTHING is disturbing!

[Buckrub]

Two words came to mind.

Alfred

Hitchcock.

[Thumper]

Two words came to mind.

Alfred

Hitchcock.

Steam

Roller

[Thumper]

Thanks Niner, you did right though still not sure there was a concern about a stupid starling.

Ok, now I'm confused here. (so what's new?) Bwana originally called it a RWBB and I thought HH was simply joking around with the Starling comment ... you know, like hogs are legal to shoot, but dairy cows aren't ... so call that cow a hog. (wink, wink) Then I come up with the law on shooting black birds. Now Bwana is acknowledging it was actually a Starling. Again, I still thought it was a RWBB.

Am I confused or are we still playing with words here since we're on the WWW? Are you guys still joking around or is it actually a Starling?

This is what I call a RRBB and it looks like the pic that has now been deleted.

http://www.sciencebuzz.org/sites/default/files/images/RWBlackBird.jpg


Now THIS is what I call a Starling and that pic above of all the birds in the road are what I usually see when there's a group of Starlings.


http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/sturnidae/images/383491936_9e3eb81488_327w.jpg


Right now, I can't tell when the joking stopped and the seriousness began. Which is which?


And this is a Starling, which does NOT look like the pic that is no more!

[LJ3]

Yes, Bwana was playing the game. Dufus.

[Thumper]

Well, I thought so ... and then I didn't ... and then I did ... and then I didn't ... and then I did ... and then I didn't ... and then I got confused! ;)

[Captain]

Thumper's having a Blonde moment.

[Thumper]

All'o youse can bite me! I ain't all that sharp on birds and thought maybe I was callin' those things the wrong thing all my life!

[Arty]

Only thump can tell a "thump story" instead of just saying "huh?"....
I picked up what bwana was laying down... Onliest person that didn't was the pUmphEad SYsoP
So much for being a noticer.

[Thumper]

Well, actually I picked it up from the get-go ... and even posted the law which SHOULD have cleared everything up and made all okay. But the flip-flopping continued, then the deletion transpired and next thing I know, I'm doubting myself. I get it ... still don't know why the pic had to be deleted though. It was all in fun and not illegal.

[BarryBobPosthole]

You never know when a meter reader might be reading on GH. Or a fish cop. Or a bird cop.

I remember once I had been duck hunting many moons ago and had killed four ducks on three shots at the end of a day. It was pure wing shooting too and I was pretty proud of it. Its rare enough for me to get a double let alone a double and two singles at one throw. So I told about it here and also mentioned that it put me one duck over my limit. Some tin foil hatted paranoiac here said I shouldn't say stuff like that on line and I blew them off. A few days later, I had a letter in the mail from the Oklahoma Dept of Wildlife and about had a heart attack. Until I opened it. MY wife had bought me a lifetime hunting and fishing license for Christmas and she was supposed to get to the mail before I did. Scared the bejeebers outta me though!

BKB

[Thumper]

Prob. is, nothing illegal was done in this case ... I guess that's what threw me.

Sheeesh! We're turning into a bunch'a Sunshines! :D

[HideHunter]

.






Now THIS is what I call a Starling and that pic above of all the birds in the road are what I usually see when there's a group of Starlings.


http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/sturnidae/images/383491936_9e3eb81488_327w.jpg


Right now, I can't tell when the joking stopped and the seriousness began. Which is which?


And this is a Starling, which does NOT look like the pic that is no more!

and just to further confuse you - that ain't no starling.. Without digging too deep.. I think it's a Brewers blackbird.

*This* is a (two) starlings.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/8880066100_6faa480b91_z.jpg

You're welcome. :D

and: I have to take responsibility for creating the problem. I had never seen that "nuisance" portion of the federal law. For the record, I don't bother redwings but I hate grackles, and cowbirds. Neither ever land on this farm. Starlings land on this farm. ;)

[Captain]

Well I think it's a Bluegill! ;)

[Buckrub]

And I think Cappy is always right.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'd like to find the British bastard who brought starlings and sparrows to America and ring hos neck.

BKB

[HideHunter]

Eugene Schieffelin (29 January 1827, New York, N.Y.[1] — 15 August 1906, Newport, Rhode Island[2]) belonged to the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society and the New York Zoological Society. He was responsible for introducing the starling (Sturnus vulgaris) to North America.

Accounts differ, but it appears that in 1850 Nicholas Pike, Director of the Brooklyn Institute, purchased the first 8 pairs of sparrows from Liverpool, England (the cost of the trip was $200 per Barrows). He released the 8 pairs in the spring of 1851. They did not "thrive."
The following year (1851) he oversaw purchase of another 25 pairs of birds that were released along the East River. (Barrows [1889] reported 100 birds purchased by Pike from England released in fall the 1851 and spring 1852.)

[DeputyDog]

Them and mute swans

[quercus alba]

Jims pictures is a Hildebrandt's starling. athis is the common starling better known as the European Starling.3893

[Buckrub]

I wish I had the slightest clue what all this was about....

:slaphead

[HideHunter]

Jims pictures is a Hildebrandt's starling. athis is the common starling better known as the European Starling.3893

huh? I admit I've never heard of a Hildebrant's.. but the one's on Google sure don't look like that.

"Hildebrandt's starling is 18 cm (7.1 in) in length and weighs 50–69 g (1.8–2.4 oz). The adult has bright iridescent plumage on its upper body and upper surfaces. As in its relatives, this iridescence is derived from the interference of reflected light from regimented microscopic feather structures and not from pigments. The head is blue as are most of the upperparts, the wings are bronze-green with blue primaries, the throat and upper breast are glossy purple, and the tail is glossy blue-green. The middle breast and upper belly are orange-buff and the lower belly is rufous. The iris is orange-red, and the bill and legs are black. Male and female adults are identical in external appearance.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I wish I had the slightest clue what all this was about....

:slaphead

Shitbirds.

Which every duck hunter calls them that.

BKB

[Buckrub]

Oh.

We always called 'em "Peanuckle Birds".

Why are we talkin' about Peanuckle Birds? Cause Bwana killed one? Or Bwana Light? Or what? Did it matter that he did? Is NoDak against it? Don't they have wheat and stuff?

Never mind, don't answer. I'm tired.

[HideHunter]

cause..no..yes..what?..no..no..yes..

[Captain]

Careful HH Bucky's having a bad day...
I pissed him off by just typing his name. ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

cause..no..yes..what?..no..no..yes..

Probably the most disturbing thing about this is I followed every bit of it.

BKB

[Captain]

Me too...

[HideHunter]

lol... may be a long winter.. first juncos showed up at the feeder this morning.. so it begins. ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

I think those might be what we always referred to as snow birds. (No Thumper, not the Michiganders who move to Florida every December). They can sound just like a deer when they're rustling around in a brushpile if its the same bird.

BKB

[HideHunter]

yep - that's them. Been my experience - the smaller the critter, the more noise he makes in the leaves. They leave us in the summer and nest anywhere from N Minnesota to the Arctic. Goin' little jessees. ;)

[Thumper]

The one that used to drive me bonkers was the dang army-dillers! They'd always scamper out right around dusk and I swear, NOTHING in the woods can sound more like a deer than those little bastages!

[LJ3]

Bream or shellcracker?

[Thumper]

Bream or shellcracker?

Sunfish! ;)