Starlings Getting a Drink

This small flock of European Starlings was photographed catching a drink from the lovely little farm pond here.  I was trying to take pictures of what I thought may have been Kildeer, but it turned out that the birds in question were really Starlings.  I have never seen a whole flock swoop down together to get a drink of water before.  It was an amazing sight.   The flock basically swooped down to the shoreline for just a quick few seconds and then up and off they went.   I took these pictures from across the pond and was quite a long distance from the birds.  I took the pictures on Nov. 13, 2012 in my yard.  I also have included a picture of a European Starling sitting in an Oak that I also took in my yard on Nov. 10, 2012.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

European Starling

Starlings

European Starlings have come in big numbers several times this year.  Starlings here feed in the grassy yards and cow pastures.  The neighbor’s pasture across the pond has more than forty acres of open space where the birds can find lots of insects to eat.  They perch in several larger trees both here and across the pond.

European Starlings mostly eat insects as well as several types of grains and seeds.  The European Starlings have slender, sharp bills.  The males are iridescent blue-black with brown areas, and are very attractive birds.  The females are a lighter version of the males.  Although these birds have been in the United States a long time, the European Starlings are natives of Europe.  I took these pictures on September 4, 2012 in my yard.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

More Yard Birds

House Finches

Juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker

European Starlings

A Great Blue Heron, Eastern Bluebird, European Starlings, House Finches, Red-headed Woodpeckers and more birds were here in the yards in the last two days.  I delight in watching all of the action!  The heron was on this side of the pond because the cows were wading in the pond from the other shore.  I evidently startled the big bird and off it flew.  There have been a lot of House Finches taking seed from the feeder lately.  Just mobbing it!  The Eastern Bluebird juveniles are out and about and are charming.  So many beautiful birds to admire, and enjoy!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photo.  Enjoy!

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird

Great Blue Heron

Adult Red-headed Woodpecker

A Huge Flock of European Starlings

These European Starlings were out on my next door neighbor’s back pasture.  I took these pictures from my back yard on July 21, 2012 in the late afternoon.  There had to be about two hundred Starlings feeding in the newly mown grass.  It was a very interesting sight.  I don’t think I have seen so many birds at once here.  Starlings do tend to form large flocks.  They like eating grubs and insects and also will occasionally eat seeds.  They have a long slender bill that is perfect for digging in the grass.

Starlings are iridescent black with purple, and brown tones.  The females are a lighter tone in color with more brown showing.  They like to perch way up in the crown of tall trees.  One thing that is also interesting to me, is that I have noticed that the Starlings will move forward on a pasture in groups in a wave like movement.  Part goes forward and then the middle moves along and then the rear follows.  I am showing this great big flock in different pictures since I did not have a wide panoramic lens.  To see the larger photo, please click on the thumbnail image.  Enjoy!

Critters in the Yard

Chipping Sparrow

I shot all of these pictures yesterday in my yard.  There were several more birds but I will include pictures of those tomorrow.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

White-breasted Nuthatch

Canada Geese

American Robin

European Starlings

Male Northern Cardinal

Female House Finch

Cotton-tail Rabbit

A Bunch of Starlings

European Starlings have been here in my yards fairly often.  A number of the robin-sized birds live in the Oaks and Hickories that are on the margins of the little farm here.  These birds often will join together in a large flock.  Earlier, back in the fall, the starlings were mostly here in groups of twenty to thirty birds.  Now, there usually are about a hundred or more European Starlings here.  They make a lot of squeaks, whistles, and chirp sounds.  They are pretty interesting and not any trouble at all to me here.  They eat insects, grains and fruits.  They do graze in the grass to find grubs and worms.  I think they are really handsome birds.  The males are a blue-black color with lighter golden streaks.  They are almost iridescent.  The females are similar in color but are more of a brown instead of a black.  Starlings have a pointed bill that they use to dig in the grass for insects.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Birds in Flight

Here are a number of pictures I have taken of birds in flight.  I have taken these photographs on various days in the last couple of months.  The pictures show European Starlings, a Great Blue Heron, Canada Geese, a Turkey Vulture, a Bald Eagle, a Mallard Duck, an Eastern Bluebird, and an Eastern Bluejay.  It is so interesting to watch birds fly.  Taking pictures of birds flying is a sometimes frustrating thing.   The larger the bird and closer the bird is to me, the better the picture is.   Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Songbirds in the Yard

On Saturday I saw a few songbirds in the yard here.  It was a rainy day and between rain squalls, the birds would come out to find their meals.  I was surprised to see a trio of small birds on the electric line near the house.  Because I had seen an Eastern Bluebird on one of the lines, I immediately thought that these little birds were all other bluebirds.  When I looked at the viewfinder in the camera, I noticed that the birds on the line were probably finches or siskins.  Because the light was so bad, it is hard to tell actually what these birds really are.  I also saw a couple of European Starlings.  One starling perched right on the tip-top of the electric pole and the other was perched in the crown of an Oak tree.  Interesting.  I have noticed that mostly, the starlings tend to want to perch in the tree-tops.  I am always happy to see birds here.  I will be putting up my bird feeders soon.  That will encourage birds to come to the yards even more often.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger photograph.  Enjoy!

The Early Bluebird Gets the Worm

Eastern Bluebirds make their home in the large trees in my front yard or in nearby woodland areas.  Eastern Bluebirds are here almost every day.  My husband has been doing a small amount of earth moving to prepare an area which will immediately be a carport / parking area and possibly  later, the garage area.  We also are lengthening our gravel driveway so it comes up closer to the house.  The birds are going crazy for all of the worms that are now easily gotten-to!  The birds are occasionally standing on the pile of sod and soil or are busily scanning the area which has been cut-into about a foot in-depth.  I enjoy watching the birds close-up but have to be rather stealthy as they are quite easily scared-off.  I took these pictures in the afternoon on Monday, December 19, 2011 in my yard.

The Eastern Bluebirds love eating insects as do the European Starlings.  Both are seen here in pictures on today’s post.  I do think that the Eastern Bluebirds seem to be able to hold their own against the slightly larger Starlings.  All was peaceful and the worms plentiful!  It is a very rainy morning here on the little farm and it likely will rain much of today.  I want to wish those who celebrate, a happy Hanukkah.  Happy Solstice as well for everyone.  Today may be shorter in daylight in the Northern Hemisphere, but hopefully  it will be a happy and bright day for you!  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!

Starling Sightings

Many European Starling birds live in the trees at my next door neighbor’s place.  There also seem to be a few starlings roosting in the woods at the Southern end of my property.  Starlings are very beautiful birds.  They have a bad reputation because they sometimes are seen in huge flocks numbering in the hundreds.  When such a large flock comes to visit, they can eat a lot of garden crops, make a mess with their droppings, and become an unwelcome noisy pest.  Fortunately for me, only about thirty or so birds at a time have been here.

The starlings are interesting because of their squeaks, whistles, and chirp-sounding songs.  The European Starlings are an iridescent black and brown with tan highlights.  They also have slight blue, yellow and purple tinges to their wings in the sunlight.  In the right light, the highlights of these feathers seem almost rainbow-like.  The females are more subdued and a bit more brown in color.  These birds eat just about anything from insects to seeds and fruit.  I am usually very happy to have the starlings here.  Please click on the thumbnail image to see the larger picture.  Enjoy!