Until the end of February I was getting groups of 15 - 20 in the garden, now I am getting much lower numbers at one time. Until just over a week ago all the starlings that visited were eating meal worms which I put out (where as the sparrows were flying off with their beaks full) but now all of the starlings are flying off with 10 plus meal worms at a time. The young must have hatched. Where have they all gone? I really hope to nest and breed Give it another few weeks and we will be treated to the squabbling hoards of fledged young.
Charles Coutts said
Mon Apr 25 7:07 PM, 2011
There are Hundreds around the Airport,Nesting in every nook and cranny.
Melanie Beckford said
Mon Apr 25 6:14 PM, 2011
Neil Ferguson wrote:
Well I actually spotted 2 starlings on Saturday at Asda in Wigan.
Not totally absent then.
l consciously began to count mine now....Saturday = 3
Dave Thacker said
Mon Apr 25 5:49 PM, 2011
Neil Put a bird bath in your garden, I'm getting up to 15 Starlings at a time having a communal bath each evening. Each of my neighbours have at least 1-2 pair of Starlings nesting in their loft space and I have a pair in a woodpecker nesting box which I put up on the side of my house.
Neil Ferguson said
Mon Apr 25 8:56 AM, 2011
Well I actually spotted 2 starlings on Saturday at Asda in Wigan.
Not totally absent then.
Ian Boote said
Sun Apr 24 11:37 PM, 2011
I'm sorry I missed all those entries my point was that many people could think some species are 'common' when they are not, so list them. House Sparrow were ten a penny in my youth and that can and does carry on in the sub conscious but they decline and you forget or don't notice. Again sorry for lack of clarrification.
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Apr 23 12:59 PM, 2011
No problem Neil, no apology necessary
The original question was indeed highly worthwhile and in my opinion was admirably correctly answered by Henry Cook
As regards the recording of Starlings though I fear many birders do indeed view them as not worth recording, which is a big shame as that's clearly not the case.
Neil Ferguson said
Sat Apr 23 8:04 AM, 2011
Sorry Ian's, I wasn't trying to cause any offence.
I just thought that my question qualified under " General Birding Discussion" as a valid question.
Mike Chorley said
Fri Apr 22 9:11 PM, 2011
I think there's a full stop (or colon) missing after 'common' and the reference is to posting on the BTO......but I could be wrong
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Apr 22 9:04 PM, 2011
Neil Ferguson wrote:
Ian Boote wrote:
They have declined like other common species such as house sparrow. Many reports do not list them because they are seen as 'common' so worth a passing mention in posts and recording on the relevant site as roving reports particularly if nesting and thats NOT this site.
Having difficulty understanding the last bit - you think they are not worth commenting on I presume.
Well when they seem to have totally disappeared around my neck of the woods in Wigan I think that is worth a comment especially when they used to be so common.
This is where attempting to interpret a post or indeed read between it's lines can cause confusion!
It don't think that's what Ian's insinuating Neil, in fact the opposite is true! What Ian is pointing to however is that nesting birds are not for posting on this forum in general.
Starling records are repeatedly asked for on an annual basis by the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group and they, as with practically all other records, are very valuable to us. The problem is that posting such records on this forum is not the route to official recording
Melanie Beckford said
Fri Apr 22 6:31 PM, 2011
Neil Ferguson wrote:
Ian Boote wrote:
They have declined like other common species such as house sparrow. Many reports do not list them because they are seen as 'common' so worth a passing mention in posts and recording on the relevant site as roving reports particularly if nesting and thats NOT this site.
Having difficulty understanding the last bit - you think they are not worth commenting on I presume.
Well when they seem to have totally disappeared around my neck of the woods in Wigan I think that is worth a comment especially when they used to be so common.
May l dip my toe in ?
l didn't read Ian's reply as he doesn't think that the species aren't worth a mention or not worth noting, just that reserves or organisations don't. Again, that's how l read it, l could be wrong though
Our local popualtion have declined terribly, they were very common and in huge flocks. Even up until last year. Now l couldn't even count ten But l do live along a 40 strong 'gang' of Magpies, who work their way systematically through the youngs Starlings wehn they fledge
Neil Ferguson said
Fri Apr 22 5:05 PM, 2011
Ian Boote wrote:
They have declined like other common species such as house sparrow. Many reports do not list them because they are seen as 'common' so worth a passing mention in posts and recording on the relevant site as roving reports particularly if nesting and thats NOT this site.
Having difficulty understanding the last bit - you think they are not worth commenting on I presume.
Well when they seem to have totally disappeared around my neck of the woods in Wigan I think that is worth a comment especially when they used to be so common.
Ian Boote said
Mon Apr 18 12:20 AM, 2011
They have declined like other common species such as house sparrow. Many reports do not list them because they are seen as 'common' so worth a passing mention in posts and recording on the relevant site as roving reports particularly if nesting and thats NOT this site.
Henry Cook said
Sat Apr 16 4:20 PM, 2011
They've mostly paired off now so are in a lower density than for much of the year. To make it seem even quieter, many are probably incubating already meaning that half the birds present are out of sight on nests. Give it a few weeks and once the first brood have hatched the adults will become much more obvious whilst looking for food for their young. Just a thought. Henry.
Melanie Beckford said
Sat Apr 16 1:13 PM, 2011
l've noticed also our local population has been very elusive lately.
We have usually loads near us, only just, started seeing a handful knocking around.
Neil Ferguson said
Fri Apr 15 10:52 PM, 2011
A wierd question??
Well I haven't seen one for weeks.
I know they should be nesting now but there have been at least 2 nests in the building where I work for the last 4 years.Not this year though.
I know it's a bird we generally take for granted but they all seem to have vanished???
Where have they all gone? I really hope to nest and breed
l consciously began to count mine now....Saturday = 3
Put a bird bath in your garden, I'm getting up to 15 Starlings at a time having a communal bath each evening.
Each of my neighbours have at least 1-2 pair of Starlings nesting in their loft space and I have a pair in a woodpecker nesting box which I put up on the side of my house.
Not totally absent then.
The original question was indeed highly worthwhile and in my opinion was admirably correctly answered by Henry Cook
As regards the recording of Starlings though I fear many birders do indeed view them as not worth recording, which is a big shame as that's clearly not the case.
I just thought that my question qualified under " General Birding Discussion" as a valid question.
This is where attempting to interpret a post or indeed read between it's lines can cause confusion!
It don't think that's what Ian's insinuating Neil, in fact the opposite is true! What Ian is pointing to however is that nesting birds are not for posting on this forum in general.
Starling records are repeatedly asked for on an annual basis by the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group and they, as with practically all other records, are very valuable to us. The problem is that posting such records on this forum is not the route to official recording
May l dip my toe in ?
l didn't read Ian's reply as he doesn't think that the species aren't worth a mention or not worth noting, just that reserves or organisations don't. Again, that's how l read it, l could be wrong though
Our local popualtion have declined terribly, they were very common and in huge flocks. Even up until last year. Now l couldn't even count ten
But l do live along a 40 strong 'gang' of Magpies, who work their way systematically through the youngs Starlings wehn they fledge
Having difficulty understanding the last bit - you think they are not worth commenting on I presume.
Well when they seem to have totally disappeared around my neck of the woods in Wigan I think that is worth a comment especially when they used to be so common.
Henry.
We have usually loads near us, only just, started seeing a handful knocking around.
Well I haven't seen one for weeks.
I know they should be nesting now but there have been at least 2 nests in the building where I work for the last 4 years.Not this year though.
I know it's a bird we generally take for granted but they all seem to have vanished???