Cedar wax wing Jeffrey Vinton, 53, of Braintree has been charged with shooting eight songbirds that he claimed were raiding his strawberry patch.

Game wardens received a complaint that gun shots had been fired on several occasions from Mr. Vinton’s residence in Braintree. The complaints indicated the shots were occurring sporadically during daylight hours.

State Game Warden Keith Gallant responded to the residence after the next occurrence. There was no answer at the door, but spent shotgun shells were observed outside the residence.

Five dead cedar waxwings were observed in the garden as well as one dead chipping sparrow.

Two more cedar waxwings were located under a tree in front of the residence. These songbirds are protected by both state and federal law.

Special Agent Pat Bosco of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assisted Warden Gallant with interviewing Mr. Vinton. Mr. Vinton said he had shot the birds because they were eating the strawberries he had planted in his garden.

Killing a federally protected songbird is illegal, and each violation carries a fine of $256.00 and restitution of $50.00 for each bird killed.