With the last few evening being a little milder, and barely a breeze, I stepped out my back door to stand for a reflective moment in the twilight air. But all was not quiet at that late hour. A starling was busy checking out my neighbor's purple martin house. I could hear the almost frantic metallic scrabblings of her (or maybe his - I don't know who handles the main house hunting duties among starling couples) feet against the metal structure. That colony nest house hasn't been cleaned out in years, maybe decades, so I wondered what all the fuss was about. Do starlings have the ability to understand the concept of "making room"? Was the bird trying to move used nest material around to create more living space for this year? Or perhaps was even trying to evict some of the old twigs, and start over? These are questions I don't have any answers for, but maybe one of you readers will know.
This will be my fourth spring at this lake shore location. When I first moved in, a robin was nesting in a well-sheltered and concealed spot over the same neighbor's downspout. For the next two years the nest was relined and reused, until it was abandoned, probably because it finally got to be too tall to the limited space under the eaves. It's such a prime nesting spot, I'm tempted to try and knock the old nest down, so it can be reused. The job would take a step ladder and maybe a good stout stick. Would any starlings in the yard wonder what on earth I was doing?
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13 comments:
be careful with ladders and sticks...sounds like you have a housing crisis in your neighborhood-what did the birds ever do without us. LOL!
I enjoyed this post. We have robins that like to build on one of our downspouts also.
The mourning doves make nests that fall apart and they are always making new ones-in the same spot-they pick bad spots too. They must be doing something right though because their numbers have increased dramatically.
I took a picture of last evening's waxing gibbous moon with pinkish buttermilk type cloud wisp. Of course I thought of you when I saw it!
Oh those Starlings... That's the same thing I say about our Pine Siskins. I guess we ALL have at least one pesky bird around us!!!!
Robins do build their nests in strange places, don't they???
Have a great week. Hope you get some warmer weather.
Hugs,
Betsy
Love your post as always and, of course, your photos. It is such fun to watch birds. Have a great weekend!
I am surprised the starlings can even fit in the purple martin house!
Love the robins nest.
A great post!
There's been an awful lot of activity among the birds in the big tree in front of our house. Looks like they are all ready to set up housekeeping.
The places they find to nest, I have a couple of pigeons in my bathroom window. I think they find it a cool place, I only hope they don't peep in when I am in the shower. ;)
It's true, you hate to see a perfectly good nest go to waste, even if they are all staying at the Marriot.
Good to have some nice new neighbors checking out the hood!
House Hunting Starlings- I love it!
Dennis has never tasted Starling, and probably never will. Birds kind of scare Dennis. Voles and mice are easier to prey upon. Birds flap around and can fly! Dennis would be scared.
That house looks ideal perched way up there; no wonder there is such interest. Please don't climb any ladders!
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