Oh no. . . . .

the Starlings are back! I know I should be grateful for all God's creatures, but there are a few I could just as well do without. For starters, snakes and spiders and most everything creepy-crawly. I don't mind fireflies and fuzzy caterpillars, but all the other bugs and slithery creatures give me the eebie jeebies.
As for birds, I'm usually a lover of all things feathered. I have several feeders all throughout my yard and bird houses nailed to posts and hanging in the trees. I love watching my birds, with the exception of Buzzards, loud-mouthed Crows and pesky Starlings!
Did you know a Buzzard's natural defense against predators is to throw up all over them? Totally gross! If you were to stand underneath a tree where a Buzzard was perched and he thought of you as a threat, he would regurgitate his roadkill breakfast all down upon you. Ick. And why in the world do Crows think they have to caw all the time, day or night? Do they really think what they have to say is so important? Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! If I had a b-b gun, I'd give them something to caw about!
This morning as I stood at the kitchen sink, looking out the window, I noticed a grouping of Starlings were already out at my feeders bothering my other birds. It's a little early for them, but I guess our lack of Winter has brought them out for an early Spring. I watched as about six or seven of them wreaked havoc on my feeders near the Bluebird house. In fact, one of the spotted nuisances actually entered the Bluebird house and started tearing the nest apart. Hopefully there weren't any Bluebirds in residence already. The Starling was grabbing beak fulls of nest and throwing it out of the house. Bratty brat!
As the other Starlings all descended on the bird feeders, scattering seed everywhere with their greediness, my other birds were having a nervous fit. Two Turtle Doves were pacing back and forth anxiously on the wire above the boxes and my favorite Woodpecker was squawking down to them from high up the hack berry tree.
The Starlings are just awful nuisances! They are messy and mean and make the most irritating warbling sound constantly. They get up in the gutters early in the mornings and make the most awful racket, searching for bugs and worms and who knows what else. And there's never just one Starling, they always travel in great big flocks. I wish there was some way to get rid of them!
If anyone has any ideas on how I can rid my yard of these sorry Starlings, please let me know. I have a feeling it's going to be a long and loud Spring!