Easily pleased?

[Georgie]

I see that no-one has voted the starling as their favourite bird in an earlier thread.  Well, despite my attempts at gardening for wildlife, I get very few birds in my town garden.  (I think they prefer the relative safety of the park at the end of our road because there are lots of cats around here.)  So imagine my delight yesterday when up to 10 young starlings landed on my fence and took it in turns to attack my bird feeders.  They were so funny, nudging each other off if they got impatient and swooping down onto the patio to pick up the overspill.  I must have watched them for over 20 minutes and it made my day.   ;D

G xx

[Georgie]

[Carol]

The Starlings are very entertaining birds G.  They are good mimics as well and can imitate numerous 'things' including phones!   I am glad you enjoyed watching them.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[redimp]

Bill Oddie and I both like them.

[lorna]

Ruddy things have nested in my dining room chimney :) The man who came to check asked my husband "Have you tried lighting a fire" What a clown!! We don't use the fire but is there should we get gas problems(central heating). Anyhow have been told that the only way to get rid of the nest is to remove the top bricks of the chimney.

[Mrs Ava]

We have a huge collection of starlings, and they nest in our roof, and the neighbours roof, and any other roof they can get into!  I love it when the babes first come out for a foray on the lawn, all squabbling over scraps, honestly, they make my sprogs look like angels!  However, the seem to derive great amounts of pleasure from pooping on my washing so I have stopped throwing scraps on the lawn now and have a rather civilised selection of feeders hanging from our Robinia tree instead.

[beejay]

Not my favourite bird but I love starlings. I think their plumage is beautiful. They are of course extremely noisy & quarrelsome but so what. I'm in a city garden with park at the end of the road too but we do also get blackbirds, blue & great tits, sparrows (lots more than in recent years I am pleased to say), wrens & of course delightful pigeons on a regular basis.

[Marianne]

I think starlings are very entertaining and comical.  I love them but find that they are very rare in this part of Herts.  Don't know why !?  ??? ::) ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

There used to be many thousands if not millions roosting in central Birmingham in winter till they netted all the buildings. I wonder whether the loss of so many warm roosting spots, presumably in every city, has had anything to do with it.

[Georgie]

Thank you for all your replies.  So glad there are other Starling fans in these parts.   ;D

g XX

[Paulines7]

There used to be many thousands if not millions roosting in central Birmingham in winter till they netted all the buildings. I wonder whether the loss of so many warm roosting spots, presumably in every city, has had anything to do with it.

Yes, they have all come to my house in Wiltshire and are in my loft!! 

A bird managed to get down my chimney last year and I could hear it chirping behind the Xpelair above the cooker.  I had to remove the front cover of the vent to release it.  This was easier said than done as the Xpelair was in a place difficult to reach so I had to sit on the hob to do it.  Unfortunately, I unavoidedly depressed the knobs with the tops of my legs and had sparks going into my derrière.  What a shock!  I decided to get down and turn the electric off in case it happened again.  This done, I eventually managed to get the front cover off and a young starling came out and flew around my kitchen totally unharmed.

[wardy]

A poem for all you starling lovers  ;D

We're starlings, the missus, meself and the boys,
We don't go round hoppin', we walks.
We don't go in for this singing all day,
And twittering about, we just squawks.

We don't go in for these fashionable clothes,
Like old mistle thrush, and his spots,
Me breast isn't red, there's no crest on me ‘ead,
We've got sort of, hardwearing...dots.

We’re starlings, the missus, meself and the boys,
We'll eat anything that's about,
Well anything but that old half coconut,
I can't hold it still. I falls out.

What we'd rather do, is wait here for you,
To put out some bread for the tits,
And then when we're certain, you're there by the curtain,
We flocks down and tears it to bits.

But we starlings, the missus, meself and the boys,
We reckon that we're being got at,
You think for two minutes, them finches and linnets,
You never sees THEM being shot at.

So the next time you comes out to sprinkle the crumbs out,
And there's starlings there, making a noise,
Don't you be so quick to heave half a brick,
It's the missus, meself and the boys!

Pam Ayres

[Paulines7]

Ohh ..................what a lovely poem.

Pauline

[lorna]

If this thread continues in this way I think I might even look at the dear little darlings/starlings tomorrow in a different way. might even get to like them ???

[Carol]

Thats a good poem and oh so true of the Starling.  They are not so numerous now either. 

:( :( :( :(

[Georgie]

Thanks for reminding me of that poem, Wardy.  Sure sign of advancing years eh, liking a Pam Ayres?  ;)

G xx