Starlings

[Madelinew]

I do rather like starlings but have been getting a bit fed up recently with the way they empty the bird table before anything else gets a look in and it doesn't matter what or how much I put there. I have got round it now by establishing bird tables elsewhere in the garden and making sure the feeders are all well stocked - the smart little things can often be seen hanging from these as well however! The only birds I've seen get the upper hand are the jackdaws and once a brave blackbird that eventually lost it's nerve.


However, I got my reward today when two adult starlings brought their single fledgling to feed - it's all worth it.

[suetblocks]

THIS IS GREAT!!! weve also just seen a baby with its mum to we also have problems with their greedy appetite.But they are great birds.

[guineapig]

Last year I was overrun with them, and their babies. The mess! The noise! They partcularly love the fat blocks and can empty the container in a single day. This year there haven't been so many babies but they seem incredibly advanced for the time of year. Perhaps they'll have second broods

[jezlee]

I hadn't seen any youngsters in my garden this year until yesterday, when a whole flock arrived! There were 2 or 3 adults and about 7 youngsters, but they pretty much stayed on the grass, the youngsters picking at anything they saw, and occasionally being fed by the adults. I put apples, cut in half, out on the lawn for the blackbirds (they LOVE them) but I've noticed the starlings are now eating them as well!

[Tornado]

Starlings in my garden are going through 2 kilos of sultanas daily!!
It's costing us a fortune!!

[thunder]

I never (or extremely rarely) see Starlings in my garden - I wish I did!

henrya

[SteveHL]

You can get a wire grid with holes smal enough for birds like robins and dunnocks to get through but too small for the likes of the starlings and ring neck doves. This helps ensure the smaller birds get some feed too. Otherwise the crazy gang as the starlings are known in our house not only get the worm but everything else.
Regards
SteveHL

[buzfuz8149]

My marauders (starlings) and their young are taking 1lb suet, 4 fat balls, 1lb peanut bits plus what they can reach through the mesh that protects the meal worms for the small birds. They would eat more but I split it over the day, there is certainly no shortage of them round here.

[WestLothian]

They are very greedy in our garden too - and they chase the other birds from the food.
The robin and the dunnocks wait until the starling feeding frenzy is over before getting near.

They are also very hard to photograph I find with their dark and oily feathers.

[Madelinew]

Update on the baby starling - we had a bird strike on the patio doors last night and it was baby. Fortunately he/it was just stunned temporarily and I managed to persuade my deeply concerned daughter that he was fine and to leave him alone. I shooed him gently under a large planter on my patio so that he could recover safely without and predators getting him and he flew off half an hour later. His parents stayed in the vicinity until he was OK.

I agree about the amount they eat - they cost me a fortune! And they make such a mess. I put out loads of seed, oats and raisins in lard blocks because the blackbirds tend to throw everything everywhere in search of particular morsels. However, this attracted the starlings who get through a large margarine tub sized lump every day. They are very clever birds too because despite trying some of the methods mentioned above, they manage to get round them somehow.

As I type, a flock has landed in the tree opposite and they are as noisy as ever. Their social antics are highly entertaining and I find the rest of the garden gets a share of the food put out because I just make sure I have plenty of feeding stations of varying types.