Took my 22 lr to the range and was shooting @ 50 yds, a robin landed right under the target and was looking right at me put the crosshairs right between his eyes and pulled the trigger. Next thing i see is him ducking the bullet and sitting there still looking at me as if to say screw you buddy!
Years back I had a large stack or firewood up against a 6' tall privacy fence. Wasn't long before chipmunks created a massive hotel in the woodpile. My porch was just 25 yds from the wood pile. I spent many hours keeping the population in check. Quite often, I woukd get a bead on a chipper head and squeeze off a shot only to find the chipper still standing ! When he stepped aside, there was the pellet stuck in the fence right behind his head ! Not only myself, but several friends came over and experienced the same thing...unbelievable they could be that quick, but it happened often enough to believe they were that quick !!
The chippers happened to move as you broke/break the shot is all…. No “Matrix-like” movement on their part… same thing happens when going after birds. Chipmunks aren’t known for staying still for very long, unless DRT of course.
I agree. Unless I distract a pest with bait, my hit chance is pretty low. Even WITH bait I have had chipmunks (monks get it) dodge a pellet zinging their way at 500 plus FPS.
Yep, even when I miss and make feathers fly! If I think about it long enough I can usually figure out why I missed, and it had nothing to do with the bird ducking. English Sparrows and Starlings are notorious for not sitting still for more than a few seconds, so "rushing" a shot can lead to mechanical errors associated with the timing of the aimpoint and the squeezing of the trigger.
Only bird I ever regretted shooting was a Robin, I was young and dumb. But have never forgotten and I never, ever shot another Robin. I believe they are protected in NYS.Please don't shoot the Robins (happens to be my last name!)
I too shot a Robin once, as a youngster with my new Daisy Model '94 BB gun. Hit him right in the chest, but did not kill him, thank goodness. (I also shot a bunch of Cedar Wax Wings in the woods near our house with that rifle)
Beautiful little birds. . . But I think about that poor Robin every time I watch them pulling worms out of my lawn after a rain or after I have watered. 
