Grackles are both intelligent and tribal. When I was in college in Dallas
there was a mature stand of japanese ligustrums that ran down the south side
of my house that was just full of them. They were a major nuisance. Most
places they become a nuisance because of their great numbers. They defecate
all over the place covering anything and everything from cars to concrete.

They also become brave. There is a Taco Cabana on S. Lamar at Riverside
where they have been a real problem. Its the same with any outdoor
restraunt. I've been eating at a Sonic and had them try to steal my fries.

They are dirty and nasty but they are smart. I've heard of using large
painted owls and such swinging in the wind and also shiny metallic pie tins.
But they get used to it after a while. I used to shoot them in Dallas. I
used an old .22 caliper rifle. It was pretty quiet and where I lived was
fairly remote. I made sure to keep the gun aimed well above the horizon.
The first time I shot one they raised hell. Boy were they confused. The
bullet went right through the bird and knocked it out of the tree but didn't
kill it. It made a lot of ruckus telling the other birds it was hurt. I
had to switch to hollow points to take them out with one shot.

They learned real fast and got to where they watched for me. When they
would see me come out of the house they would all high tail it for another
stand of trees a few hundreds yards away. Then they would send female
scouts out on fly overs to look for me. If they saw me outside they would
stay away. When I went in the house they would eventually return. Then I
started shooting them from my window. They picked up on that real quick
too. If they saw that rifle barrel come out of the window they'd set up a
chattered and be gone in no time.

I hated those birds. I worked at night while I finished school and they
would NOT let me sleep in the mornings. The males make this sound like
someone with nine inch finger nails dragging them across a chaulk board. I
used to wake up to this pleasant sound daily. And they would destroy my
tomatoes without fail.

I battled those birds for several years but eventually it was me who moved,
not them.

A fellow i know that used to have a house in The Woods of Barton Creek had a
problem with deer and used a sonic device that was triggered by a motion
sensor. It was effective until the deer figured it out. I expect it would
be the same with the grackles if something like that was effective with them
at all.

The best approach is to develop a strategy that combines the different
suggestions made here previously. Be persistant like the one woman's
husband who chases them away. Use shiny spinning pie plates or something
along those lines hanging from trees but move them around so they don't get
used to them. Watch thier patterns and don't feed them. (Avoid feeding
dogs or cats outdoors as this will attrack them every time) Develop a
tolerance level of what you can put up with.

Good Luck

Al Hanke

"Ms. Tee" wrote in message
m...
For decades our neighborhood has had lots of mourning doves -- gives us a
"stereo" effect when they really get to cooing! Now it seems these nasty
assed grackles are moving in and causing the doves to move out...any
suggestions on removing these nasty birds?

I thought about shooting them with a gun but it's illegal in the city
limits....
I was told that bb shot just bounces right off the little *******s -
Any ideas that are legitimate and make sense? (ie sending them all to Iraq
is a nice thought but impractical)

Thanks, Cheers, Tee