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Writer's pictureCrone

Too many

I don't want to grumble, but seriously, I seem to be supporting Northampton's starling population.


They look out for the food delivery - and for me to go back inside.



One day I started to think that my cherry tree was sprouting starlings instead of cherries. As I walk to the back of the garden, a flock fly out of that and another crowd, even larger, roost in the back lilac.



That, of course, means the back of the garden is gathering guano. It also means that the hungry little exocet missiles eat everything. They are like locusts. Any opportunity, and they take it.



I thought my father was mean when he told me that they chase the starlings off their bird feeders; now I can understand his reasoning. I don't do that, but I do stand outside for a while after putting food out to allow the smaller birds to get a look in. Hence the nice pictures of the blackbirds, who have decided it's worth braving me to get at the grub.


The first wild bird I came into contact with was a starling caught but not killed by our farm cats. My mother put the bird in a shoe box and told me to take it to school. I think that's because she didn't want it in the house - mind you, the cats would have got it. The starling died anyway.



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maplekey4
Jul 07

Your backyard community is certainly a dynamic one. That's a great photo of "a few' of the starlings on the chimney top! They are impressive birds, how they coordinate so closely, like airplane squadrons, and ... er achieve their food-finding missions 🤔

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