With our wind chills and cold temperatures, all of the birds are coming to the feeders. The common starlings can sure empty the feeders fast because they come in large groups most of the time...they do make a mess, but I do like the speckles on them...sorry about the bright white areas on the photos, it is the light coming through the sides of the arborvitaes. Common Starling.. ( photo / image / picture from Sherry8's Garden ) Common Starling... ( photo / image / picture from Sherry8's Garden ) Common starling... ( photo / image / picture from Sherry8's Garden ) Common Starling... ( photo / image / picture from Sherry8's Garden ) Common Starlings... ( photo / image / picture from Sherry8's Garden )
I have dozens of those at my feeders during the winter and they are always accompanied by an equal number of Red-wing Blackbirds. But I love seeing all of them.
so you are taking care of all of my red wing blackbirds during our winter...thank you toni thank you Donna
We have starlings here in Scotland too. They are intelligent, noisy, messy but endearing visitors to the garden. :-D
Sherry those are good photos. Their feather sure are neat colored. So glad I do not have them at my feeders. With the cold we have been going threw bird seed like crazy. But if they did show up I couldn't chase them away with the cold and snowy weather we have been having. This morning I saw a Chipping sparrow under one of our feeders. I hope it survives this horrible cold weather.
Great shots Sherry! Even though Starlings are not our favorites (messy, rambunctious, noisy) They are pretty much gone from us right now. I do like the speckles. We have been hosting bunches of Redwing Blackbirds here now, they usually are not around until the beginning of March! Our feeders are full, and all the feathered friends are welcome!
Hi. Lovely to read this about the Starlings and a Sparrow also was mentioned. Over here in UK down south/southeast they were once very very numerous but now sadly their numbers are very much less. If they have all come to you in the US well they are at least still alive. As stated, messy, noisy, bullies with other smaller birds they are still very endearing and I certainly miss seeing them very much. Their numbers being as great as they were (and still are here and there) in the early evenings before settling for the night they would gather in areas in masses and then take off as literally a dark cloud and do these wonderful "gymnastics" and swirling manouevres whatever all over the sky - terrific sight to see.Syd. L
That is the only bird that I try to keep away. The odd ones perched in the trees take off as soon as I open the door, the other birds don't bother. More trouble in the spring with them when they are feeding young.
I had to quit feeding the little birds up close to the house because the starlings were making such a mess with their droppings. I hope we get some rain or wet snow to clean things up....I have never seen any other birds that messy.
Hi. I also always found them the same - messy - bullies and not kindly to young or smaller birds - however I have never seen one attack smaller with real intent to harm - not to kill One of the worst we have here for that is a bigger bird the Magpie - these regularly are on the look out for nests with eggs and young to ransack and eat - do a lot of damage that way. Squirrels also do the same. That is nature at work sadly but everything wants to eat and live. Syd. .
Those are great pictures, Sherry. I agree, they are they are not the neatest or nicest of birds but they are pretty.
I am just overwhelmed at how the number of them grew....and with that many everything is dirty and gross looking after they have been here. I hate to quit feeding where I take all of my pictures but I have to try it for a while to see if they move on or stay in the corner of the property where the other feeders are...
