1 February 2015

Sparrows And Starlings


A family of sparrows has been nesting in my neighbour’s bamboo plant for a couple of years now. 
It’s quite a mature plant so I think they feel safe tucked away inside it. 
I like to feed the wild birds and love to watch them flitting around the garden. 


I put these little fat balls close to the house for a couple of reasons, first so that I could watch the birds easily from the kitchen, but more importantly in the hope that the starlings wouldn't venture this close to the house. I don’t like starlings, they’re gawky and ugly and they remind me of playground bullies, they just barge in, scare the little birds away and take what they want. But they are clever, I can't help admire them for their tenacity and ingenuity. I have a wire cage with an inside cage for a fat slab, the idea being that only little birds are able to get through the outer cage to reach the slab in the inner cage but young starlings are so skinny that they can squeeze their heads through to reach the fat slab!



Mr Sparrow eating and Mrs Sparrow collecting the string for nesting material.




My plan worked, the little birds are enjoying the fat balls whilst the starlings 
stay away at the bottom of the garden where they are more welcome.




4 comments:

  1. I've just de-pilled a jumper and was wondering if I should put out the 'nest' that's left for the birds to use for their nests. Lovely photos. Suzy x

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  2. Hello Suzy, ooh yes I think they would like that, it would be very cosy for them. Thank you for your comments and for joining my site x

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  3. Love the little birds Polly, I didn't realise starlings were such a nuisance , a bit like my Corella's I guess, so noisy and demanding :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Grace, yes they are like juvenile delinquents! I think we all have "difficult" garden birds wherever we live :-)

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