Starlings eating thyme?

gecko · #1 (**permalink**) 14-07-2010, 11:03 AM

For the last few days, a flock of about 30 juvenile starlings has arrived in our garden. Most of them feed on the lawn, I assume on invertebrates. But there are a few that fight over feeding on a tiny thyme plant in a pot. I had a look but there are none, or very few, inverts on the plant. Are they actually feeding on thyme?

Any ideas?

Thanks

greenfingers78 · #2 (**permalink**) 31-03-2011, 07:04 PM

We have a thyme plant in our garden and last year we noticed that flocks of starlings and sparrows favoured the thyme plant over the other plants, and would all peck around at the base of the plant. At the time we suspected they were feeding on invertebrates.

This year for the past 2 weeks we have had a lone starling which likes the thyme plant, and is breaking branches off to build a nest in our neighbour’s loft. The following link has some interesting info on birds in South Africa which suggests the birds might be using the thyme plant for medicinal purposes:

http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/afr...04(1)37-39.pdf

This still doesn’t answer if the birds are eating the thyme when they come in flocks, and why they seem to favour thyme…

Kayleigh · #3 (**permalink**) 31-03-2011, 07:12 PM

Birds use herbs in their nests as a repellent and keep the nest fresh maybe this is what their doing..
Although I have lots of caterpillars/saw fly larvae sticking the leaves together and the birds find them.