Saturday 2 May 2020

Day 38: Starling



The starlings arrived today, Wednesday 29th April. I'm always happy when these colourful characters return, even if the photo above doesn't do them justice, taken through the window, in the rain, as it was. Like a few other of our avian garden visitors, a small flock of starlings arrive in spring, stay with us whilst they breed, often bringing fledglings to the garden with them, then disappear again come the summer. On our daily walk, we also heard one calling in its clicking-whistling voice and, having not heard them here for almost a year, couldn't place it until we spotted in sitting on a roof.

These birds have a clown-like side to them, and when they turn up in a gang, which they inevitably end up doing, they squabble and bicker and make such a racket. This one, however, visited alone today, probing the wet grass for worms and other delicacies. I think it turned up a slug in the picture above, and happily flew away with its prize. According the the RSPB, they are still one the most common birds found in gardens, so I'm not quite sure why they don't stay with us throughout the rest of the year. However, I look forward to their antics for the couple of months we have the pleasure of them for.

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