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.
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”.
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!
The Starlings are back.
In the last two days, a group of Starlings mixed with Cowbirds has rained down on my yard and raided the feeders. The mealworms are back to being offered in the caged feeder exclusively, and I hope this flock will move on soon. The camera did capture their spirit and colors well, though 😆.
Here’s to an enthusiastic Monday!
Bird traffic
continues to be slow, but this morning we had the first slight frost of the season, so winter is slowly coming. The sun continues to give her all, making some of the otherwise more dull visitors like this Starling appear in a new light. Making me forgive them their bad table and nesting manners for a bit.
The Starlings
have been back, and some of them are still molting into their adult feathers, as can be seen by the remnants of the brown baby feathers around the head.
Two young House Sparrows
are sharing a spot at the bowl. A group of them often comes around at this time of the year. The youngsters are cute, but as someone who also has a Bluebird nestbox in the yard, I am always quite happy when I don’t see any House sparrows. If you are interested in the challenges and aspects of the relationship between House Sparrows and Bluebirds, check out the very informative sialis.org.
A teenage Starling
looking into your soul. (They do have quite “human” eyes somehow, don’t they?)
A European Starling
showing off his feather beauty. They can be overwhelming at times with their noise and numbers and behavior, but even Starlings can look cute. This one is drying off after a bath.
I haven't been posting many photos recently,
but that is just because this is basically what the feeders look like right now most of the time. The Starlings and their babies have taken over a bit. These “takeovers” happen each season, and they will mellow at some point too. And no matter what one thinks of Starlings (Europe and the US perceive them a bit differently), the interactions between the youngsters and the parents are funny to watch. They do sound a bit like haunted witches, though.
Video: Starlings trying to get into nestbox
My second nestbox has a small entrance hole that would only fit Chickadees or Wrens but has a door slab that woodpeckers could modify in their own style. Now that nesting season is beginning, Starlings are also showing interest. They can’t get in, but you can hear how much they wanted to. I am trying a new camera solution in there and I am excited to see what the season brings with this box.
