Step outside at the moment and you will hear the 'wwwwiiiiiiissshhhhoooo' calls of countless cute baby Starlings. They erupted from their nests en masse late last week and are constantly following around their parents and begging for food. The adults are very diligent but I am sure that any baby Starling that opened its bill and 'wwwwiiiiiiissshhhhoooo'ed at them would receive a belly full of leather jackets!
(Les Harrison)
They have to be on the lookout though as our regular pair of Magpies are very adept at nonchalantly ambling up to a feeding party and then deftly stabbing one in the head while it is not looking! Much Starling screaming ensues but rarely to any avail and several swift head blows usually does the trick but although this may seem cruel it is simply nature at work, wheedling out the less able and quick to react. Survival of the fittest (and quickest) has never been more apt.
23-5-12