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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 18 Apr 2008 at 12:13    Image of day on 08 May 2008

Starling (nesting in our roof-space) collecting old reed mace for the nest.


Ref: 20080508_da1_20080418_1213_013 starling gathering nesting material(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 19 May 2011 at 08:11    Image of day on 14 Jun 2011

FEED ME!!!


Ref: 20110614_d3b_20110519_0811_261_fb3 starling juvenile begging from adult out of crop to left(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 18 May 2011 at 17:49    Image of day on 14 Jun 2011

Young starlings are in abundance. This family has at least 3 youngsters being fed at feeders, in bushes & on the ground.


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Image Taken on 05 May 2012 at 09:00    Image of day on 05 Jun 2012

And here the departure - this time without a fecal sack.


Ref: 20120605_db1_20120505_0900_040-042 starling leaving hole in eaves 1-3 of 3 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Apr 2011 at 10:56    Image of day on 02 Jun 2011

Why is the starling flying away from the hole leading to the nest in the loft?
Well he turned up, found his 'wife' already inside, flew off and perched on a nearby pipe, the lady departed and he then went in with this food


Ref: 20110602_db1_20110430_1056_109+112+113 starling male with caterpillar flies to hole & back + female exits + male returns 07-09 of 14 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Apr 2009 at 19:57    Image of day on 22 May 2009

Our new camera position at a horizontal branch fixed to the peanut feeder post produces some interesting top and bottom moments of conflict - this one at dusk. The Woodpecker wing tips were lost off the bottom of the frame - deciding what to cover in the camera field really is a quality compromise and guessing game.


Ref: 20090522_d50_20090427_1957_029 fb3 starling on perch with great spotted woodpecker female hanging beneath(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Feb 2012 at 08:50    Image of day on 24 Mar 2012

The starlings and woodpeckers really don't get on - here the female woodpecker.


Ref: 20120324_d3b_20120216_0850_010_fb3 starling on top of perch and great spotted woodpecker female hanging underneath (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 21 Feb 2012 at 07:42    Image of day on 24 Mar 2012

5 days later we have an almost identical situation but with the male woodpecker and a starling.


Ref: 20120324_d3b_20120221_0742_054_fb3 starling on top of perch and great spotted woodpecker male hanging underneath (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 10 May 2010 at 12:51    Image of day on 15 Jun 2010

Other beakful's include various caterpillars and mixes of flies, caterpillars and spiders.


Ref: 20100615_db1_20100510_1251_361 starling taking caterpillar(s) into nest in loft (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 10 May 2010 at 11:08    Image of day on 15 Jun 2010

Where do the starling find so much food!
A bird seems to bring in this much every few minutes. This year we notice a lot of black 'flies' in the mix and we saw a starling spending a minute or so over the garden catching them on the wing.
Rory Morrisey's Web Site identifies these as St Mark's fly (Bibio marci)


Ref: 20100615_db1_20100510_1108_043-047 starling taking food into nest in loft 1-5 of 5 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 May 2012 at 09:09    Image of day on 04 Jun 2012

The racket from the loft is matched by a seemingly endless flow of worms and insects through the hole to feed the brood(s).


Ref: 20120604_db1_20120505_0909_068-071 starling taking food to hole in eaves 1-4 of 5 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 05 May 2012 at 09:00    Image of day on 05 Jun 2012

The racket from the loft is matched by a seemingly endless flow of worms and insects through the hole to feed the brood(s).


Ref: 20120605_db1_20120505_0900_030-034 starling taking insects to hole in eaves 1-5 of 9 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 29 Apr 2010 at 09:04    Image of day on 05 Jun 2010

Just over an hour later here is maybe the same bird with another load on his way to the nest in the loft - the nest has apparently reached the lining stage. One birds major misfortune becomes another bird's comfy nest.


Ref: 20100605_df1_20100429_0904_001 starling with beak full of feathers(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Apr 2011 at 07:25    Image of day on 29 Apr 2011

Starlings nest in the loft by a hole we had the roofer leave open. But this Starling was on the roof ridge with this leaf and flew off toward the main field with it, so the loft is just one of many nest sites.


Ref: 20110429_df1_20110407_0725_217 starling with dead leaf for nest 2 of 2 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Mar 2012 at 13:56    Image of day on 07 Apr 2012

A chance grouping of 5 starlings on the perch next to one of the peanut feeders. It is interesting to see the number of different breast feather variations.


Ref: 20120407_d3b_20120301_1356_033_fb3 5 starlings at kitchen peanut feeder (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image of day on 30 Aug 2005

These are immature Starlings - note the light coloured head.


Ref: 20050830_d60_04530 young starlings on concrete post 2005aug20_11-51-20(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Nov 2009 at 08:23    Image of day on 10 Dec 2009

We think starlings look wonderful. The bird on the right was calling.


Ref: 20091210_db1_20091115_0823_127 2 starlings on high voltage cables(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 25 May 2011 at 05:41    Image of day on 23 Jun 2011

4 (of at least 5) Juvenile Starlings forming a very 'English' queue with one of the adults at the left.


Ref: 20110623_d3b_20110525_0541_121_fb3 4 juvenile starlings spaced along perch + 1 adult(r+mb id@768).jpg

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