Feeding Blackbirds and Starlings

[tumchy]

Hi folks, Anyone else here feel as if they're in the Hitchcock film, "The Birds" when you put stuff out for blackbirds?
For about 8 years now, I've been feeding currants and apples to the resident Blackies. They're not in the least shy, and land on the windowsill and door handle to let me know they are there. This year there are loads of starlings, who have cottoned on to the fact that when Bob or Bessie Blackbird lands on my windowsill, there follows a free feast.
So now the blackies see me in the kitchen, land on the windowsill, I put out currants, about 30 -40 starlings descend and gobble up the goodies in no time at all. Then the Blackies look at me through the window as if to say...."Those neds got our lunch, can we have some more?"
I can't keep up with them and my neighbours must think I'm "aff ma heid" feeding birds then shooin them away!

Here's some pics of Bob & Bessie and the bairn. (only one this time)

[htcdude]

Great pics tumchy!

I was getting a pair of Blackbirds and a handful of Starlings during their breeding period but they no come anymore I think they've gone to your house

Nige

[tumchy]

Ha ha...you can have the starlings back! My hubby pulled the kitchen blind down on Sunday afternoon so we could hide from the them!

[htcdude]

Ahhhh you can't hide from Starlings I'm afraid, they can see through walls, wait til the start nesting in your loft

[tumchy]

Singalonga Tumchy...
"Sing a song of sixpence, pocketful of rye,
Four and twenty starlings, baked in a pie.....oops, wrong bird!

[roseway]

Originally Posted by htcdude

Ahhhh you can't hide from Starlings I'm afraid, they can see through walls, wait til the start nesting in your loft

I recently had to lift a floorboard in my spare bedroom to free a young starling which had somehow managed to get stuck there. I still have no idea how it got there. They were nesting in the eaves, but that's the next floor up.

[~T~]

Originally Posted by tumchy

then the blackies look at me through the window as if to say...."those neds got our lunch, can we have some more?"

Hahaha

[actionfinch]

Me and a neighbour share the starlings.. i had 5 on my feeders this morning and when i looked at there table they had at least another 6....

Tumchy i cant stop singing four and twenty blackbirds now....

[KentYeti]

Originally Posted by actionfinch

Me and a neighbour share the starlings.. i had 5 on my feeders this morning and when i looked at there table they had at least another 6....

My record this year for Starlings was 40 at one go! Most by a very long way for over a decade.

But I've now changed how I feed them. It is the fat balls they go mad over. So I don't put any out until the afternoon. Gives them a chance to forage naturally for food. And has kept the numbers down a bit as they spread around the neighbourhood.

I've also put dried mealworms in the flower borders where the blackbirds tend to hunt alone.

Bryan

[googler]

Excellent pictures, I must say....