Bye-Bye Birdies!! Hello Light!!

Since we moved into our house 4 years ago we have battled the Starlings. The first year we thought all we needed to do was to shoot some firecrackers at them and clean off the sidewalk every weekend. Not so. The next two years the problem became worse. We got pooped on when we walked under the trees. People would avoid walking in front of our house. Cars cried at the thought of being parked under the trees. This year it was worse. No amount of spraying could keep the sidewalks at least passable. We couldn't let the girls play in front of the house and the flies were unbearable. We were nervous that someone was going to get sick!! My friend had feathers plastered all over her van when the wind blew while it rained. And poor Eric needed a dust mask to mow our yard!! I can't even descirbe the smell especially when it rained. You could smell it while sitting on our neighbors porch behind our house!! So.... even though the trees were pretty ( or could have been if you didn't notice the while all over them from the bird sh^&**^) and you hate to get rid of healthy specimens, they had to GO!! So, last weekend while grandma took Madeline school shopping in Omaha, Eric, his dad, and our friend Chris knocked them down. So.... here are before and after pics. I was really nervous that our house would look ugly without them but..... I think it passes mustard. Judge for yourself.