starlings

fulhamphil · #1 (**permalink**) 02-01-2007, 07:37 PM

Hi everyone, this is my first post and i,m pretty new to garden birding. I would really like some advice on the starlings visiting my garden. The problem i have is that they descend on my garden in mass eating all the fat treats etc wrecking the place and making an awful mess, while i,ve had other birds in, blue and great tits, goldfinch, greenfinch, blackbirds etc they never seem to hang arounnd long and visit infrequently. Could this be because of the starlings or am i just unlucky? I've put out the right foods but they don't seem to take it. Help please!

mrs fish · #2 (**permalink**) 02-01-2007, 07:45 PM

They love food as much as the other birds and they enjoy fat balls, if you just seed feed then they won't visit so much.
They need lots of energy for their tea time displays

Welcome to wab

glsammy · #3 (**permalink**) 02-01-2007, 08:12 PM

I'd be grateful even for Starlings in our Garden. We had a pair with young, but they disappeared months ago, none have been back since, even though we fed them well. They definitely prefer the fat blocks, so follow mrs fish advice and cut down on the fat. The others will love the seeds just as much.

Oh, and Welcome to WAB!!

fulhamphil · #4 (**permalink**) 03-01-2007, 07:32 PM

Hi graham
Good to be here, you can have some of my starlings if you want. Although there messy and eat everything there very entertaining and i would miss them if they stopped coming.

Owl-Light · #5 (**permalink**) 03-01-2007, 08:51 PM

I know they can be a pain but you're very lucky to have so many really. As far as I know, Starlings are still in quite serious decline in the UK. I know I used to see many more around where I live in the past than I do now.

Perhaps if you put the fat blocks at one end of the garden and seed feed at the other end - if that's possible?

Paul mabbott · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 05:01 PM

While looking at the possum article on another thread, I noticed this:
The Westmorland Gazette: breaking,video and regional news for English Lake District, Cumbria, Lancs

fulhamphil · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 06:38 PM

Hi Paul
Its a great sight would love to witness it on that scale myself, behind my garden is a large tree which many starlings gather during the day , once they all took off together must of been about 150-200 of them that was pretty spectacular. I had about 60 in the garden the other day, then all of a sudden they took off as one, very clever how they all go at the same time. Have you seen the carling advert " going out tonite", brilliant.

buzfuz8149 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 06:45 PM

I try and keep the starlings or as I call them the marauders in check by putting the fat balls in a metal cage that only the small birds can access. I put plenty of sunflower hearts and mixed seed out, which they come for but not in large numbers. I put the fat cakes out every other day and they soon tell one another, then it's a free for all - usually lasts about two hours - I enjoy watching them, especially when they walk, quite comical.
We also call them Sheppys, is this nick name used everywhere or is it local to Lancashire?

Nearly forgot to welcome you to WAB.

Carol.

fulhamphil · #9 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 06:58 PM

Hi buz, thanks for the welcome, i too have put the fat balls in a protected cage however i still leave a log filled with suet etc which they go mad for, they seem to like the suet pellets as well. I've tried to "stem their flow" but they still come, there part of the family now and i'd miss if they went!

Oscar2006 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 07:27 PM

last winter we had over 16,000 "staggy lads" gathering to roost in town.

This was a fantastic spectacle and I still enjoy the small groups that we have at present.
One of the most under-rated birds we have for entertainment.

snowdrop · #11 (**permalink**) 12-01-2007, 06:54 PM

The last 4 years has seen a huge decline in starlings in this area. I saw only three in my garden last summer which is very strange compared with the large gatherings of earlier years.
Yes I know they are noisy, greedy, sqabbling little 'divils'. But I do miss the flashing
green/blue of their feathers.

ron1863 · #12 (**permalink**) 14-01-2007, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fulhamphil

Hi everyone, this is my first post and i,m pretty new to garden birding. I would really like some advice on the starlings visiting my garden. The problem i have is that they descend on my garden in mass eating all the fat treats etc wrecking the place and making an awful mess, while i,ve had other birds in, blue and great tits, goldfinch, greenfinch, blackbirds etc they never seem to hang arounnd long and visit infrequently. Could this be because of the starlings or am i just unlucky? I've put out the right foods but they don't seem to take it. Help please!

If the Starlings are tearing up your lawn then they are feeding on leatrherjackets, the young of the daddy long legs, so are doing you a foavour.