"Spider" wrote in message
...
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.

Righteo then the cafe shall remain for the moment Apart from a whole
chicken and Bonnie's dinner, what else would you put out?

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

Plenty there to look at, thanks I am not sure I will be offering a whole
cooked chicken although I don't think Bonnie will mind too much if they have
some of her dog food. She won't go hungry

If I offer dog/people food, will it be ok to offer it in the sdff?


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) :~))

lolol I wouldn't put it past him))) I just asked and he say he is sure he
will find something))

btw I've never had all these starlings in the garden until the sdff))


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