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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Give it another few weeks and we will be treated to the squabbling hoards of fledged young.
