Wildlife UK Forum - Discuss the UK countryside and wildlife

I have a huge amount of starlings visit my garden daily, sometimes up to 30/40 birds at a time, its like something out of the Alfred Hitchcocks film "The Birds" at times, but although a lot of people think these birds are pests and i have to agree they are abit of the school yard bully they also have great personalities and keep me amused for hours, just watching their behaviour and communication between each other is really quite amazing, there is certainly a pack order amongst them, and when food is being given out, a line starts to form and they get their pieces of pastry individually, and if one breaks ranks and butts in he gets a stern telling off from the one in front.
I dont get many other species in the garden because of the starlings, as they are noisy, boisterous and very greedy, the blackbird is the only one that will stand up to them, the robin comes when the feeding frezy is over, and the piedwagtail ducks and dives inbetween them, but i just think if the starlings are in my garden, the small birds are getting their food in piece in someone elses garden
Sorry to have rambled on but i love my starlings!

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Beautiful pictures, really nice action shot. I have to agree with what you said about starlings, they are very entertaining and full of character. I could watch them for ages.(plus they form one of natures greatest spectacles when roosting). Whats not to love about them, apart from the fact the like to eat lots!

Nice photos indeed!

I'd still rather not have starlings in my garden, but they are not a native species here in the United States. I do have to say they are amusing to watch, though.

Kingfisher

Thanks The Stoop i was at the river yesterday afternoon watching them in their large numbers swooping the sky making patterns and shapes, cae home a very happy person

I get many Starlings in my garden, and as you say, they are a bit of a back-garden bully!

They can be quite bullish but that is amazing they have some sort of order to how they behave with each other. From first glance they jst seem to squabble but I'll have to pay more attention to how they react to each other now.

Its well worth spending the time, i have learnt so much from them, even though they are looked upon by many as pests.

My chickens do exactly that pose in the third photo - great photos though, I wish my photography was as good as that.

I am all for starlings! Especially as they are rapidly declining - I love it in July when flocks of them and their babies wome and feed on the fat balls I put out for them. Beautiful plumage and they look like little stealth bombers, triangle shaped planes.

I could sit and listen to Starling all day long, they can make some amuzing lyrical notes. And they seem to behave in my garden, the resident Collared doves are the garden bullies.

I found this link while looking up something about the Westhay Starling roost, Starlings making some amazing images in the sky.
[url=www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=493035&in_page_id=1770]Starling Art[/url]

Ho well, can't get link to work?

Here is the link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/ar...ge_id=1770

Drivers warned over watching starling flocks

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jh...arl119.xml

I remember seeing a sight like this many years ago. The sky from one side to the other was filled with starlings. Amazing.

Thats amazing! Wow! Breathtaking is the only way I can describe it!