"Galen Hekhuis" wrote ...
kathy wrote:
Getting past the weeding with a pellet gun, which
takes a creative mind to come up with, --
stuns the --- insects and makes them easy pickings.
I don't think so. I shoot wasps, grasshoppers, etc. just about every
chance I get, they make good moving targets. I don't see very many
though, so I usually shoot weeds (I don't shoot dragonflies or
butterflies, even though I have a lot of those). I have never had
the egret take any interest in any of the bugs I have "put down."

Probably the birds food and safety laws require they
be proven fresh / self kills?? (grin!)

Long time ago I heard tell of a way to really
impress others with your marksmanship skills.
(I never tried this, so I'm not sure.)
Bet them you can shoot a flying dragon fly from the air.
Shoot at them with a BB gun. Suposedly their sensors
detect this inbound moving target, Identify it as food,
and automaticly calculate intercept trajectory,
and move to intercept,,,,
(bad plan in case of BB pellet - weight/mass & speed).
Supposedly the result is you knock their heads off
most times with this trick.
(always nice to have the target move to hit the projectile!)

Recalling with fondness (not in a pond - but big river),
Used to every summer take a kid (or two) on a
canoe camping trip. Recall just drifting in the morning
at times watch the struggle play out.
The dragon flys emerge with their new wings, (from the
cat-tails) that need to dry/cure some before they can first fly,
then the first several minutes of 'flight training' are
not real skilled.
The red wing black birds just loved feasting on
these 'newbies'. Better be quick / not waste time!
Because after just a few minutes of flight training,
the dragon flies are very good at quick side stepping.
The 'matches' were very interesting.
A blackbird against a 'mature' dragon fly, ---
lots of frustration maneuvering, then give up.