Tag: Starlings

31 Days Wild: 31st May 2025

Since last weekend, the blue tit chicks have fledged and left their nest – least ways they are no longer cheating imperiously for food nor are their parents darting back and forth with more food. 

The young starlings have also left wherever their nests are for they are now in the garden in large number. Junior starlings are adult size but have browny gray feathers as opposed to the shiny and sparkled feathers of the adults. However even though they can fly, they are – at least initially – unable to feed themselves and the garden is full of their squawks as they demand to be fed by their tireless parents. Once they have mastered the art of feeding themselves, they are enjoying the purple berries from the mahonia shrub. 

Counting on … day 1.125

30th May 2023

This is a noisy time of year – the young starlings can now fly but have not yet learnt to feed themselves. They fly off with their parents and perch in easy reach of food and then squawk loudly to ensure that their parents keep on putting food into their ever open beaks! The juniors are a delicate shade of grey compared with the shiny sparkly back that they will sport when they reach adulthood.

It is good to see – and hear – them as their number have declined by 66% since the mid-1970s, placing them on the red list. According to the RSPB only 15% survive the first year to make it to adulthood. I hope that keeping our feeders full of fatty insect based nibbles will give them a helping hand.