amuse me like mad at the Serpentine each day; unlike other birds who scrabble (like pigeons) or come and take from fingers (geese) or just grandly sit there like the Queen Mother (swans) or steal (crows & ravens) or squeal (seagulls) or fish (ducks) - these fly into the air and catch them before they land. What type of birds are they?

speaking of birds...the seagulls at Bondi Beach are becoming quite desperate because of the absence of tourists or anyone leaving behind food droppings.

I bought a whole bag of chips for them just yesterday and deposited them in the park where you aren't allowed to linger and it was chaos..like a scene out of The Birds.

Barely escaped with my life and a couple of yobs yelled obscenities at me.
#NB: this is not a pic of Hedda but it's similar to what happened to me.

Ah! At last the truth is out. You are, in fact, Tippi Hedda!

JK2006 wrote:
amuse me like mad at the Serpentine each day; unlike other birds who scrabble (like pigeons) or come and take from fingers (geese) or just grandly sit there like the Queen Mother (swans) or steal (crows & ravens) or squeal (seagulls) or fish (ducks) - these fly into the air and catch them before they land. What type of birds are they?

It is a European/Common Starling JK. Their beaks go black in winter and yellow when it gets warmer so good times on the way!

My main Bird advisor (Baby Brother Andy) instantly recognised it too; I love them; they are so clever; I throw a bit high in the sky and they NEVER miss! They do that Murmuration thing don't they? I've always been amazed by that. Terribly pretty close up; I always thought Starlings were black. But the feathers are multi coloured and lovely beak and legs. One of the wonderful things about getting old; you keep learning fascinating new stuff.

Yes they do the astonishing mumrmuration effect. I love the almost metallic sheen of their feathers and as you say they have some lovely subtle colouring up close.

They are also good mimics in their song so yes clever birds as well!

Over one hundred years ago, 100 starlings were released in Central Park, NYC.

By a society wishing to populate the continent - with all the bird species mentioned in the works of Shakespeare.

All of the 250/300 million starlings - on the North American continent - are descended from that 100.

You must have seen them around NYC - JK?

I once had a cat who would only kill starlings. He ignored all other types.

wyot wrote:
They are also good mimics in their song so yes clever birds as well!

Sadly your admiration for starlings isn't shared.

The species appears high up in the '100 World's Worst Invasive Alien Species' list.

A dubious honour they share with some rodents - and other unpleasant creatures.

Barney wrote:
wyot wrote:
They are also good mimics in their song so yes clever birds as well!

Sadly your admiration for starlings isn't shared.

The species appears high up in the '100 World's Worst Invasive Alien Species' list.

A dubious honour they share with some rodents - and other unpleasant creatures.




Well as a human being, and so a member of the worst invasive unpleasant species on the planet, I am not in a position to cast aspersions Barney; just to extend my admiration.