I've had the cardinal pair, a grackle, a few Carolina Wrens and the titmice so far this morning but they are very skittish. No bluejays, which is amazing since we had two breeding pairs with 3 young ones each over the summer, a veritable hoarde of bluejays. Everyone is very quiet at the feeders, too. No "chip, chip" from the cardinals. I'm sure it's the threat from the local hawks that has them spooked.
I saw that story about someone shooting a Sandhill Crane, too. Very sad and disturbing. You'd have to get really close to the bird to kill it with a pellet gun, but of course the cranes are pretty bold. Such a big, sturdy bird you'd also have to hit it in the head, I think. They are pretty noisy, and they stay in one area for long periods of time. I heard our local pair outside our fence this morning, calling loudly. (had the windows open all night - Ahhhh, so nice!) So I suppose if someone was being woken up by the noise they might want to scare them off, but kill one? No way.
I don't think I could possibly hurt a bird, even with my little plastic pellet gun and I'd feel terrible if I did. I've scared off hawks with it many times, and it barely makes them ruffle, but is enough to startle from 30ft away or so. Possibly the pellets that miss scare them even more, making noise as they hit a branch or pass through the oak leaves. I always aim for the branch below the bird, or their lower half of the body.
I've hit the squirrels on the bird feeders in the back end all the time from about 10ft. away and it makes them jump but doesn't impede them at all. The hawks are never that close.
