They haven’t been visiting in a long time,
but along with the cold and snow, a large group of Starlings has found its way to the yard too. I do find their photos quite entertaining but truth be told, I could live without them pooping all over the place, trashing the bird baths and eating everything in sight… They kind of remind me of the Bumpus Hounds from A Christmas Story 🤪
During this time
of the year, and I guess always, there will also be the opportunists. And they can be tiny and adorable like the Titmouse but also overwhelming like a group of European Starlings. Well, and the MoDos…
Since things are
as slow as they are currently, the overwhelming amount of doves, the larger groups of House Sparrows, Starlings and squirrels visiting, and some Finches that I suspect may have the eye disease, I have decided to pull feeders for a couple of weeks. I will wash all the feeders with a 9:1 water/ bleach solution and let them air dry. I will keep the baths out and also the BB feeder and the peanut butter. It is going to be even more boring than in the last few weeks, but it is a perfect time to do this. Taking feeders down helps the birds to disperse and let nature take its course. It may also be a fun time to go through older photos and post some I haven’t back in spring and summer. Here is a Starling from today.
It was a day
with crazy weather day here in Michigan today. I only went out heavily bundled-up and was nervous to get on the ladder to replenish the peanut butter on the tree because it was so windy. There was good bird activity, and there is a Chickadee roosting in the Bluebird box tonight, but the light was also bad and everybody literally was out there trying to survive. Here are two photos from today though. A MoDo fighting off a Starling, and a Starling with an ice crown. These guys are so nuts they took baths today. It was so cold that the splashes froze on the lens and I had to de-freeze it several times. I hope you are all in a warm spot, good night! Hoping for snow and sun tomorrow!
At this time of the year,
you might see birds that look a bit scary, rugged, even sick or somewhat familiar and you just cannot put your finger on what species they belong to. This means we are in the middle of molting season. Molting means either an adult bird loses older feathers and grows new ones or a juvenile bird is growing the first adult plumage. I love this time of the year because you get to study bird anatomy a bit and you might see some spectacular patterns, textures and color combos. Here are two examples of juvies changing to adult feathers (Cowbird and Starling) and two for adult molts (Blue Jay and Grackle). They will all look smooth again in a bit.
European Starlings are considered invasive
in the US, meaning that they are not a native bird over here. They were supposedly brought to America through a man named Eugene Schieffelin who released a bunch of them in Central Park in 1890 as part of a personal project to bring all birds that have been mentioned in Shakespeare to the New World. Starlings have experienced a success story in the US, much to the detriment of some native species that were not prepared for them. As an invasive species, they are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty, so people are allowed to take active measures to control them. Many American bird enthusiasts are not a huge fan of them. However, they are part of the bird world here, they are fascinating in their own right, and I find it important to show them every so often too so people can recognize them and maybe become a bit more aware of their impact. (Plus, they can be entertaining and I also have followers from their native region.) There are lots of ressources about Starlings and the other main invasive bird in the US, the House Sparrow, to be found online. Here is one link with some background in regards to Schieffelin link. For an alternative view, here is another link, it is a complex topic. Without further ado, here is a young European Starling.
The week
has started out busy and with interesting weather. Monday was cold, and in order to avoid slipping and falling on the ice sheet that the backyard was, I actually put big old socks over my shoes. (I have proper cleats now, phew). Now today, all that ice melted, and the yard is a big lake, and tomorrow we are supposed to get up to a foot of snow. There wasn’t a lot of activity today, but here are some shots from yesterday when the birds seemed very agitated. I am excited for more snow tomorrow, let’s see who comes to visit.
Stay warm and don’t fall!
And here is the stuff of
I don’t know - nightmares or bursts of laughter. Can you figure out who this curious bird is? Have a great Thursday!
A little addendum
to the Starling video. Yes, they can be a handful, yes, they are messy and invasive (in the US), but they are also quite entertaining and expressive. And their feathers are fascinating in their richness and variety amongst individual birds. In some of these, you can already see a change from the males’ winter look - they lose the dots, get that jewellish glossy look, the legs become more vibrantly red, and the beaks turn from grey to yellow.
Video: Starlings cannot read.
And apparently they feel dirty constantly. I have been out cleaning and refilling several times, and while I generally don’t have issues with that, it is rather frosty outside and maintaining the bath is a bit harder in the winter. My little sign was to vent my frustration a bit, and they took it as a challenge - it only lasted seven minutes 🤣 Anyways, here is a little clip. The music is a copyright free piece by DISMENTOPIA Taiwan. Enjoy!
So when I saw the Carolina Wren
the other day, I started putting out mealers in the open again to try and get photos of it. Well, I did, but the mealworms also lured in these guys - European Starlings. They are invasive in the US, and they have made it far because they can be voracious and aggressive. Especially when there are mealworms… But they also look very cool. That tongue!
It was wings day
at the feeders yesterday, and everybody came to show off.
(Blue Jay, European Starling, American Goldfinch, Redbellied Woodpecker)
Fall migration
is still going on, which also means that all of a sudden, large flocks of birds can descend onto yards and feeders and make quick process with the goodies. It’s often groups of Redwinged Blackbirds, Grackles and Starlings that travel together. I have not had large flocks so far, but there was the occasional single Redwinged Blackbird still this week, and some Starlings. Their winter plumage has the tiny heart shapes, their beaks turn dark again from yellow, and the legs are not as vibrant as in the summer. When the sun hits them right, they reveal their pretty colors, the “evil rainbow” as I call it.
If you get overwhelmed by Starlings and their big appetite for mealworms or suet, you can try feeders that restrict access for them. I use a caged feeder for the mealworms and the suet sandwich feeder. The upside down feeder for suet is not effective in my experience, they will figure it out.
You may have heard them
and seen them on my livestream - the Starlings have started to bring their young to the yard. I won’t let them nest on my property but I guess they are finding spots nearby. While they can be annoying with their noise and the mess they leave behind, I still find their babies adorable and it is funny to see the interactions with the seemingly bothered parents. The camera captures their spirit perfectly 😆
The Starlings
know that there are mealworms fed here and occationally in the open, so they stick around. It is interesting to see that some of them are starting to change into their mating looks - the beaks are turning yellow, they lose the “stars” and the legs and feet are getting more red. The sun loves them and reveals why I also call them “evil rainbows”.
I was hoping
for all kinds of cool photos on the big snow day…. But. The Starlings are still here, there are also tons of Goldfinches, and to be hinest, there is not a lot of exciting stuff happening. But here is a Hazel standing up to a Starling. Here’s to a better Wednesday!
European Starlings have a reputation
of carrying disease and being “dirty birds”. Funnily enough, right now, they seem to be one of the cleanliest birds around. They take daily baths even in freezing temperatures, and then look rather funny with frozen feather tips. Because of them, I’ve had to refill and clean the bird bath almost every day during this cold spell.
Video: vocal Starlings in nest box
Some Starlings have been checking out the Flicker box that we built last year. We built a Starling-proof box but I took the shield away last summer to see if maybe a bird checks it on the way. A Flicker did indeed come and check it out a couple of times, so I am hopeful for the summer. I have now put the shield up that is supposed to deny the Starlings an entrance (apparently, they like to fly on head-on) but the Wyze cam got some cool footage before. Listen to these beatboxes!
Putting the "sun"
into this Sunday post. Blue skies and bright light dominated yesterday and created some pretty photos of the regulars. The Starling showed off his glistering chest, and the Blue Jay his delicate feather textures. Winter variety is always a little boring but changes in light, temperature and weather often make me rediscover the beauty of the regular crowd.
