strange HOSP problem

14 years ago

Is that they are not being a problem! I found what must be a 1/2 done HOSP nest in one of my boxes. Saw the Female today in a pine near the BB box (BB nest done) but they have not been bothering the Blues at all. The male has not been on his nestbox singing....I need them to act like HOSPS so I can go help them on to Heaven. Who ever heard of a quiet male HOSP? I guess I will have to bring out my VanErt but I like my 22 so much better, much more humane IMHO.

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Comments (9)

kendra2003
14 years ago
Lisa, I actually had a quiet one last year. It was very strange indeed. I didn't even realize they were trying to build a nest in the martin house because they were so quiet. I think you may have to resort the the Van Ert. Most of them are very noisy and boast about having found a nesting cavity, but there is the occasional quiet one.
Lexarose
14 years ago
Lisa what type of .22 do you have? I almost bought a Ruger last year but just kept using my pellet gun but would rather have something more accurate at longer distances. Also what type of shot (bullets) do you use? I was able to dispatch 5 male hosp this week, one with my pellet gun the rest with Van Erts. There are more lurking tho.
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dzyg
14 years ago
Hmmm, never had a quiet one either. So far this past week I got one female HOSP with my vanert (male left after that which is odd) and I also got two males with my bb gun..48 foot shot on both of them, they were in a tree in the backyard. Twice now I have shot HOSP that were 105 feet away with my bb gun, although I have missed from that distance also. I prefer my bb gun to a 22 just because the 22 bullet will travel so much further and with the bb gun I don't have to worry as much on what it will hit if I miss. My bb gun does have a scope and it is a pump so the more I pump the stronger the shot. I am failry good even free hand but much better when I can lean up against something my biggest issue is to wait to get the good shot, sometimes I shoot too quickly and then miss.

Donna
lisa11310
Original Author
14 years ago
Lexarose, I usually have bird shot in the 22. I will only shoot bullets if I am shooting in the direction of the woods and when I know I am far enough away that I wont hit anything that may be back in the woods. Donna...I have a pellet gun with a pump but the darn thing don't shoot straight!
lisa11310
Original Author
14 years ago
Not so much as one peep from a HOSP yesterday, no new material in the nest, however I did see a TUTI pair investigating. I thought maybe something had happened to the male HOSP and the female moved on. This morning I have 5-7 on my Martin box UUUUGGGGG. I hope this is just a small flock moving through (it's happened before).
Couldn't get a shot off and it's too darned cold to sit out there to see if they come back,got the door cracked so I can hear. BBUUURRRR
dzyg
14 years ago
Hope they move on Lisa! It was cold this morning, got down to 28 here with a high today only supposed to reach 48 and it is windy too. Got my sweatshirt on today!

Donna
Lexarose
14 years ago
Donna what kind of pellet gun do you have,sounds like you do an awesome job with it. I have a $30 Daisy that does an ok job but I'd like something better. And yes I don't want to kill someone in the next county that's why I never bought the .22. Thanks for the info Lisa,good luck to you both.
dzyg
14 years ago
Lexarose, it is about a $75 gun, just from Walmart, it is a Remington Airmaster 77, it has a scope on it and it pumps. If I am shooting Starlings I have to give it one or two more pumps than I do for HOSP. I kinda know depending on how far the bird is how many pumps I need. I did ten pumps for the 105 foot shot, only 6 for the 48 foot shot. I do end up hitting alot with it but I do miss often enough too, normally cause I am too quick to shoot cause I don't want the bird to fly away. There are better guns out there but for the price this is a pretty decent gun. It shoots pellets or bbs but I have better accuracy with the bbs.

Donna
Lexarose
14 years ago
Thanks Donna, that is a great price for an upgrade.Last season I bought a $200 break barrel pellet/bb gun and I couldn't hit the broad side of the barn with it. The salesperson where I bought said I needed to shoot 1000 rounds to break it in then it would be accurate, luckily they took it back and I'm still using the Daisey.