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Tag Archives: starling

Iridescent Starlings

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by sconzani in birds

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, starling

211013 starling (3)

Wire-dotter, pylon-swarmer, dusk-dancer, aerial-clinger … these are just some of author and poet Rob Cowen’s descriptions of these shimmering birds, the Starlings, in his poem ‘Starling’ from his recently published book The Heeding (Elliott and Johnson, London, 2021). I’m not a great reader of poetry but this work is magical, and includes the stunning illustrations of Nick Hayes – I highly recommend their work.

211013 starling (2)

And Starlings are also magical: musicians that entertain with their broad repertoire of trills and whistles, flutes and warbles; murmuraters that fly en masse with remarkable precision; fashionistas that dazzle with the greens, purples and blues of their iridescent plumage.

211013 starling (1)

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197/366 A Starling family

15 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, juvenile birds, juvenile Starling, starling

As I was walking down a narrow country lane last Sunday, I was delighted to come across this family of Starlings – Mum, Dad and several juveniles – perched in the tops of the hedgerow that bordered the lane.

200715 starling (1)

Young birds are often more trusting than adults but, in this case, the whole family was content to sit and chatter and poke about in the bushes, so I managed to get a few reasonable photos.

200715 starling (2)

To me, juvenile Starlings are a bit like the proverbial ugly duckling – they start out quite plain but develop into exceedingly beautiful birds. As you can see, these young ones are just beginning to get their magnificently iridescent adult plumage.

200715 starling (3)

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118/366 A birding fix

27 Monday Apr 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

birding, British birds, Cardiff Bay, Coot, Ely embankment, Pied wagtail, Rock pipit, Shelduck, starling, Turnstone

I felt the need to see some birds today so headed down to Cardiff Bay for my exercise walk. First up, this pair of Shelducks were working their way around the water’s edge near the Barrage – first I’ve seen since the lockdown began.

200427 1 shelducks

This Starling had a beakful of caterpillar and flies so I presume it had hungry mouths to feed somewhere nearby.

200427 2 starling

At least fourteen Turnstones were picking and poking their way along the stones of the embankment, this one looking very handsome in its breeding colours.

200427 3 turnstone

This Coot was busy pulling bits of rubbish into the pile of sticks it has begun shaping into a nest. Its mate was nearby, hauling a branch to weave into the growing structure.

200427 4 coot

This was the first Rock pipit I’ve seen for a little while. It was busily prospecting for nibbles so perhaps it also has offspring to feed.

200427 5 rock pipit

Most of the wagtails have moved away to breed but this Pied wagtail looked very handsome amongst the Herb Robert and Red valerian that now covers much of the embankment.

200427 6 pied wagtail

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6/366 Crow vs Raven

06 Monday Jan 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, Carrion crow, Raven, starling, urban birds

You’d think in a contest between a Crow and a Raven, the Raven would win hands down every time. After all, it’s Britain’s biggest corvid, a hulking beast of a bird. And I’m sure if this had been a real contest, the Raven would have won – but it was not.

200106 raven (1)

As you can see, the Raven was sitting on a rooftop aerial, on a house in a lane not far from my house, not somewhere I’ve seen one before. The Crow had taken exception to the Raven being in its territory, so was harassing it repeatedly. The Raven ignored the Crow for a while but then, I think, simple got fed up, and flew off.

200106 raven (2)

The Starlings were spectators, watching with interest from a neighbouring aerial. It was a charming little interlude on my daily walk.

200106 starlings

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309/365 Starling adoration

05 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

birding, birds of St James's Park, birdwatching, British birds, starling, Starling murmuration

I know I blogged about Starlings just last week but I simply can’t resist giving them more air time. This is partly because the Starlings I encountered in London’s St James’s Park last week allowed close views and I managed to get some reasonable photos of their stunning plumage.

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191105 starlings (2)
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But it’s also because when I was on a Glamorgan Bird Club field trip to Rhossili last Sunday, we were treated to some small murmurations and one of these gatherings looks to my eye just like a seal – did I mention I have a vivid imagination?!

191105 starlings (4)

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306/365 Starlings and a cock

02 Saturday Nov 2019

Posted by sconzani in autumn, birds, nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, flock of Starlings, gathering of Starlings, starling, Starlings on church steeple

At this time of year, Starlings start to congregate, at first in small gatherings and then forming the large murmurations that astound all who see them. In the late afternoons / early evenings I am treated to a modest number that rendezvous on the roof of the church opposite my house and vie, noisily, for the prime position of sitting atop the cock on the steeple.

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191103 starlings (3)

191103 starlings (1)

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Birding at Kenfig

17 Monday Sep 2018

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, walks

≈ 4 Comments

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Glamorgan Bird Club, Golden plover, Kenfig beach, Kenfig National Nature Reserve, Ringed plover, Sanderling, Shag, Sker Rocks, starling, Stonechat

180917 birding at Kenfig (1)

Last Saturday was the monthly Glamorgan Bird Club walk at Kenfig National Nature Reserve on the south Wales coast and this time, as the high tide time worked in perfectly, our large group of 28 enthusiasts headed down the eastern side of the reserve towards Sker.

180917 birding at Kenfig (2)

With so many eyes on the look out as we walked through scrub and across parts of the golf course, we soon had a respectable total of small birds but the highlights came as we got closer to the sea. Near Sker House, a small Starling murmuration swirled about in ever-changing formations before pausing to rest on overhead wires.

180917 birding at Kenfig (3)

Then, we were entertained by a small party of Stonechats, dotting in and out of the vegetation surrounding a wire fence.

180917 birding at Kenfig (4)

Moving on, we had distant views of Curlews and godwits in a field. At first we thought the godwits were Black-tailed but, on closer examination and with the help of reserve ranger Dave’s local knowledge, they were identified as Bar-tailed godwits, not particularly common hereabouts.

180917 birding at Kenfig (5)

The best part of the day for me was at Sker Rocks, where we enjoyed really close views of several wader species. Small flocks of Sanderlings flitted back and forth from the rocks to the beach and, at times, were less than 20 feet away, scurrying hurriedly along the sand, poking about for food. A single Ringed plover sat alone by the water’s edge for a time, and then was replaced by four beautifully marked Golden plovers. (I got some reasonable photos of the Sanderlings and Golden plovers so will post separate blogs on them.)

180917 birding at Kenfig (6)180917 birding at Kenfig (7)180917 birding at Kenfig (8)

As we headed back inland, one of our younger birders, Tate, spotted a Shag fishing very close to the rocks – not a bird that’s seen much locally so a nice sighting.

180917 birding at Kenfig (10)

And some of us headed down to Kenfig Pool for a quick look but there wasn’t anything of note, and fishermen sitting much closer to the bird hide than they’re supposed to meant that wasn’t worth visiting.

180917 birding at Kenfig (9)

It was an excellent day’s birding and my species total was a very respectable 48: Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Grey Heron, Shag, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, European Golden Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Skylark, Swallow, House Martin, Cetti’s Warbler, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch, and Reed Bunting.
Also seen/heard but not by me: Sand Martin, Common Buzzard, Tufted Duck, Raven, Common Chiffchaff, Northern Wheatear, and Water Rail (this last one was a shame, as it would’ve been a year tick for me, but them’s the birding breaks!).

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Gone birding: Starling

08 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, drudwy, starling, starling in Welsh mythology, Sturnus vulgaris

In Welsh, the word for Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is drudwy, and a drudwy featured in one of the many ancient tales that now form The Mabinogion. The princess Branwen, who was ill-treated by her Irish husband, trained a starling to speak so the bird could carry messages to her brother Bendigeidfran, the king of Britain. Such clever birds!

180508 starling

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On a grey Bay day

04 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature, walks

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

birding, birds, birdwatching, black-headed gulls, British birds, Canada geese, Cardiff Bay, Coot, Cormorant, fog, Great Crested Grebe, little grebe, long-tailed tit, Moorhen, Mute swan, Pied wagtail, starling, walk around Cardiff Bay

171104 1 Cardiff Bay fog

Thick fog hung over Cardiff Bay as I set out on a round-the-bay circuit yesterday morning and, though the fog thinned as the day went on, the day remained grey. Still, never let it be said that grey is boring. Birds there were aplenty (and wildflowers, too … but that’s for tomorrow’s post).

171104 2 Cormorant
171104 2 Little grebes

This cormorant was enjoying a successful spot of fishing in the old Penarth dock area, though it was slim pickings for the three Little grebes around the corner in the River Ely.

171104 3 Pied wagtail (1)
171104 3 Pied wagtail (2)
171104 3 Pied wagtail (3)
171104 3 Pied wagtail (4)

All around the Bay, on almost every man-made structure and clump of rocks near the water, Pied wagtails bobbed, wagged and ‘chisicked’.

171104 4 Coot
171104 4 Moorhen

Coots were even more numerous, and an occasional Moorhen prospected along the shoreline.

171104 5 Cormorant171104 5 Flock of Canada geese

As I was watching this Cormorant drying its wings, our peace and tranquillity was interrupted by the loud honking of a large skein of Canada Geese flying in from the west.

171104 6 Long-tailed tits
171104 6 Starlings and gull

Where concrete and buildings dominate the shoreline and there’s a notable absence of trees, the birds have adapted and perch on tree-like things.

171104 7 Great crested grebe
171104 7 Mute swan

I saw perhaps half a dozen Great crested grebes around the Bay: I always admire how long they can stay underwater when fishing. Mute swans were more numerous. They are birds of such contrasts, looking anything but decorous when flaunting their glorious white bottoms as they feed, yet the picture of elegance when preening.

171104 8 Black-headed gull (3)

The most abundant came at the end of my walk. It was standing room only for the Black-headed gulls on the Barrage.

171104 8 Black-headed gull (1)
171104 8 Black-headed gull (2)

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Superb starlings

06 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by sconzani in birds, nature

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

birding, birdwatching, Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Lamprotornis superbus, starling, Superb starling, Tanzania

The Superb starling (Lamprotornis superbus) is native to many east African countries – Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, where most of my photos were taken – but you only have to google their name to discover how widely they’ve spread throughout the world, either as specimens in zoos and bird parks (one of my photos was taken in the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park in 2013) or in the aviaries of bird collectors.

160706 Superb starling Kuala Lumpur (1)

And it’s easy to see how they got their name – what truly stunning colours they are, from their iridescent blue backs and breasts and those glorious turquoise wings to their orange-red tummy and legs, all rounded off by a snowy white bottom! Like the starlings I’m more familiar with in Britain and New Zealand, Superb starlings are sociable birds, often to be heard chattering and singing their loud quavering songs in the company of others. Unlike their British and New Zealand counterparts, which are inclined to be nervous of people, the Superbs are quite bold and brassy and easily tamed.

160706 Superb starling Tanzania (2)
160706 Superb starling Tanzania (3)
160706 Superb starling Tanzania (4)

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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