I guess due to the harsh winter we are both seeing the best and worst of bird behavior. You become accustomed to witnessing birds like the Robin being territorial and shooing off all who dare trespass. Now though due to survival being the name of the game others get bolder. A female Blackbird is ruling the roost in my garden and at the first sign of anything settling to feed she appears from nowhere. Is it Superman ?, Is it a plane ?, no it is she who must be obeyed. At the same time big birds like Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves can be so gentle and don't have a problem in sharing. But woe betide any of them if the Starlings put in a appearance, natures answer to the Dyson cleaner.
“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
Hi Snaphappy,
Yup, it is a great time of year to observe the behaviour of our garden birds. The winner takes all.
I couldn't agree more about the gentleness of collared doves. I only have 2 or 3 pairs, but they are lovely to watch, so patient and so in love with their mate. I also find the same with my jackdaws. Big birds, massive claws, but just as gentle as the doves.
Can't agree about the starlings being nature's answer to the Dyson though. Mine squabble so much on the feeders that most of the food ends up all over the ground. My dog is the best Dyson there is.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
I agree with Sparrow about the starlings, they don't hoover everything up they have a food fight lol
Though they were fantastic when it came to keeping our new lawn at the old house grass-eating pest free! There were about 100 starlings in our tiny garden and all of them were tending to the lawn, there must have been no hope for any letherjackets that were nibbling at the grass roots!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Ah!! Starlings don't you just love 'em. There was a time when the wife and I were being woken at daybreak by what sounded like Fred and Ginger doing their Swing Time tap routine over our heads. I dared venture up into the roof space only to discover they had taken up residence there after pecking out the metal mesh from the air vents. To add insult to injury as I stuck my head up through the trap door they attacked like Jap kamikaze Zero pilots. Now I'm a tolerant mild mannered individual, but they had to go 'cos I pay the community charge and squatters are not allowed, besides it's dark up there and I couldn't get a decent photo.
LOL Snaphappy love your story, and yours too Sparrow. Not to mention all the posters here too
There was one time I remember living in the middle of no mans land in Scotland. One young Sparrow got stuck in the chimney stack. The bird shrieked its dispproval of being hemmed in the chimney night and day for a few days
We had a wood burning stove at the foot of the chimney stack, and where reluctant to set it alight (well you know what I mean)
So after hearing the same bird for two days or more, we thought that the birds days where numbered, and it would die as we thought that our landlord would not defend the bird at all (too much structural problems)
One morning, I went downstairs as you do, and there the young Sparrow having a verbal song at us while sitting in our front room although nothing had happened. I got a towel and grabbed him/her and he took delight in pecking me as much as he could with his 'gleaming' sharp beak - and I mean that {ouch} - eeeeekkkk yuuuawww....sharp is the polite word.
So I got a hold of him and opened our front door. He called once more, and we let him out and he disappeared into thin air.
Not a happy appreciative bird at all.
Anyway I would do the same thing again - no worries there
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Glad your sparrow eventually regained his freedom! My aunt has a colony of sparrows but they've never ended up in trouble.
Good stories everyone!.
Blackbird's sparrow had a happy ending, at least for the sparrow, if not for Kathy, but what about your starlings in the attic Snaphappy, what happened to them, or daren't you say?
Oh! Sparrow, did you have ask ?. I showed no mercy as I waited till they left their nice cosy abode amid the loft insulation, hastily climbed a ladder (not easy at my age) and attached new anti Starling Mk II Super keep out ultimate deterrent grills. But now I sit looking out the window at the icy conditions, wracked with guilt and eternal torment. How could I be so cruel, heartless and uncaring. I need psychiatric help to help teach me the error of my ways. Anybody know if you can make kebabs out of frozen Starlings as they drop off the high tension power lines overhead ?.
What a cruel man!! I hope all your curtains fade.LOL
Susan H said: Hi Snaphappy, Yup, it is a great time of year to observe the behaviour of our garden birds. The winner takes all. I couldn't agree more about the gentleness of collared doves. I only have 2 or 3 pairs, but they are lovely to watch, so patient and so in love with their mate. I also find the same with my jackdaws. Big birds, massive claws, but just as gentle as the doves. Can't agree about the starlings being nature's answer to the Dyson though. Mine squabble so much on the feeders that most of the food ends up all over the ground. My dog is the best Dyson there is.
Cant agree more the starlings in my garden are the great bun fight mob and yes my dog has hoovered up all the suet pellets that are spilled
Its nice to be important but its more important to be nice
papapete said: Cant agree more the starlings in my garden are the great bun fight mob and yes my dog has hoovered up all the suet pellets that are spilled
Hi Papapete, and welcome to the forum from me. I like your avatar - is that your Hoover? A border terrier by the looks of things. Mine got the mealworms yesterday.
Great fun watching the starlings, who don't seem to have a pecking order at all. They all squabble and none of them back down.