Beefsteak 305 Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 I have seen starlings going to roost before and have posted pictures from Cornwall of them doing it , but this is on my door step!!! In the centre of some of the shots you can see a single laylandii?? and believe it or not approx 100,000 Starlings are roosting in there every night at the moment!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 Err you forgot the photo. !hungr! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 For some reason the pics haven't transfered and I can't edit it . I'll try again. Very low light by the way!! And a great sunset to boot More here http://www.flickr.co...57623165923521/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 Please view them on the Flikr link as the photobucket set is rubbish !!! ta Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 I bet you drew all them on with a felt pen....hee hee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 Starlings are a nuisance, luckily, we only find them around built up areas over here. All the starlings in the states come from two pair some idiot released a hundred or so years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 I'll tell you the reason behind that John (one of those snippets of information I picked up a little while ago and never forgot!!) It was something to do with some fan of Shakespeare, who decided to import, to America, two of every creature mentioned in his works!!! and (Apparently ) they have done far more damage to your indigenous species than the Grey Squirrel ever did over here !! (I'll leave the rest with you ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Most impressive, but how do they all fit on to your bird table, Beefy. We don't get many starlings around here, I don't know why that is, conditions seem right, edge of town, park, nature reserve, river, lake, arable fields, few starlings. There's a few appear in the spring that raise chicks and in small numbers they are very amusing, right ungainly characters, always falling out amongst themselves. I wonder how long yours will hang around in such large numbers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,661 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Fantastic pictures Ian, most people only see spectacles like that on the TV or in books, I don't know why when all you have to do is look out of the window or travel a very short distance, Last year on Spring Watch they did one show from Bempton cliffs in yorkshire, looked great so the following weekend we drove up there and what an experience the sights,sounds and smells that just don't come through on the telly. good on yer mate ps your wildlife photo's are getting better as well Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 This poor fellow was sat looking all forlorne so I had to take his picture to see if he'd smile for me!! he hung around for ages singing and looking for grub (s). Unfortunately I didn't have anything for him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,661 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Ah Mr Robin, that iconic British garden bird, last weekend I bought a 500gram bucket of dead meal worms to feed our local pair of Robins but they get bullied off the bird table by the pheasants, Sunday afternoon there was 17 pheasants tucking into the meal worms while poor Mr robin looked on from the fence, guess I'll put another pot of worms out nearer the fence or put the pheasants in a pot Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 MMMMMMM roast Pheasant !!! I had it once at my sisters for Christmas and they had forgot to use the metal detector on mine !!! result ,, a chipped tooth and a 7 pieces of lead shot on the side of my plate !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Did you know that the American Robin is completely different to the one you have? Here they are much larger (about twice the size), all brown but for the red chest (not as vivid red), and a very "round" body! Once had pigeon pie - complete with lead shot cooked in! Not a pleasant experience! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 I saw an American Robin down in Cornwall once (Blown slightly off course) I hadn't gone to see it , we were just driving down this lane and it was packed with 'twitchers'. Nearly ran a few of them over too.!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Did you know that the American Robin is completely different to the one you have? Here they are much larger (about twice the size), all brown but for the red chest (not as vivid red), and a very "round" body! Once had pigeon pie - complete with lead shot cooked in! Not a pleasant experience! Read somewhere that they are not really a robin at all, but some kind of Thrush. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Did you know that the American Robin is completely different to the one you have? Here they are much larger (about twice the size), Are we talkings of birds or USA people! !rotfl! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Both - but from what I've seen the people are catching up! Yes, I believe the American Robin is a member of the Thrush family. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,661 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Quite right Limey, Turdus migratorius, American robin, 10" long from beak to tip of tail,has the character of the blackbird with uniform brick red breast, dark grey head and back,bold white markings around the eye and white tips to outer tail feathers, a vagrant to England, Ireland and across Europe as far as Yugoslavia, very similar to Naumanns red throated and eye-browed thrushes. sorry for being a bore, info from Birds of Britain and Europe by Roger Peterson, Guy Mountfort and P.A,D, Hollom 1954 Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,878 Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Turdus Migratorius? Sounds Latin for Migrating Turd !rotfl! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Believe it or not that actually is the route !!! Turdus (Their family name) is from the Latin for their colouration (Sh1tty brown) Migratorious as it says , long distace migratory birds There are a lot of other birds in this clasification all of them Turdus, (Thrushes / Blackbirds etc) Loads of other Turdus out there , my personal favourite being Turdus Maximus (big sh1t) Our native Blackbird being Turdus Merula ?? I think. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 The family also contains Fieldfares Ouzels and Red wings along with our other native thrushes (Mistle and Song ) American Robin:- Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 was article on BBC local news last night re swarms of starlings with footage, seemd correct name for such is a Murmuration of Starlings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rob237 89 Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 Who had the misfortune to proof read your 48pp pamphlet, purporting to be a railway book? Cheers Robt P. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 The man who paid me a lot of money to publish it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rob237 89 Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 Touche!... !rotfl! BTW: Is it still in print? Sometimes see it in the Amazon Sellers lists... Cheers Robt P. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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