On 11/01/2015 17:37, Ophelia wrote:


"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 11/01/2015 15:19, Ophelia wrote:
30/40 starlings flying around in the garden and on the trees and about
16 managed to get onto the sooper dooper fancy feeder (tm) and they were
fighting each other for the fat balls!! Wow it was magical. I think
hubby is stuffed for his shed guttering for a while yet I tried to
get a pic at the window but they saw me and scarpered. Fingers crossed
they try again.

heh and all because you told us to remove the netting from the fat
balls)



Oh, that's lovely to hear, Ophelia! I can tell just how much you
enjoyed it:~)). Obviously, they're feeding themselves up so they're in
good breeding fettle, which may mean they nest in or near your garden:~).

That would be so lovely if they did) Do you think they will come back
again before then though? Soon after they left, the high winds and
driving rain came back, so I expect that kept them away


Provided you leave food out, they will come back when they're hungry.
They were keen enough to fight over it, so they're definitely
interested! The parents may even be glad to top up their diet with your
suet balls for a while, even while they're feeding their young with
meaty, wriggly things. It's hard work finding enough food for a nest
full of screeching beaks, so a free snack of almost anything should be
appreciated.


Pity hubby has to wait for his guttering! Actually, I suspect it will
be free again fairly soon because Starlings (and especially their
young) prefer a carnivorous diet (caterpillars, worms, spiders(sob),
etc.), so as soon as their preferred diet is freely available, they
will probably change to that high protein meat diet.

Ah! So there is nothing more we can offer them now?

Apparently they will take dog food, but your dog may not appreciate
that! They're clearly happy with what you're offering them.
However, I found this website earlier, which you may find interesting:

http://www.starlingtalk.com/diet.htm



In the meantime, I don't suppose hubby will mind too much if he has an
excuse to stay in the warm;~). So long as he gets his gutttering up
in time to catch the April showers:~).

Awwww he was enjoying them as much as I was so he is content to wait


Yes, I can imagine you both glued to the window:~)

I wouldn't count on that particular cafe being up and running next
winter though)


Unless hubby pops out and buys some more guttering ... (scuttles back
under stone) :~))
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay