Cat(h) wrote:
What I have noticed in my garden is that blackbirds and starlings lift
clumps of the grass clippings I use to mulch my flowerbeds, I presume
to get at some juicy worm underneath. They are also the first two
birds to come to any patch in the veg garden which has been freshly dug
or turned, again apparently for the same reason.
Could it simply be that your zinnias were more easily lifted than
anything else?

Cat(h)
Yes, blackbirds do have a tendency to look for worms very
'energetically'. Very often I find clumps of compost have been thrown
feet away from the border they were originally on. I had blamed our dog
at first, until I caught a blackbird in the act. But I don't begrudge
them that, and it's fairly easy to put the clumps back.

This starling problem, on the other hand, seems to have been mindless
damage for damage's sake.

The zinnias were planted no less firmly than the other stuff we put out
at the same time so, while they may have been easy to lift, they were no
more easy to lift than the rest. A mystery...

Cheers,
Robin
Cheshire, UK

-Si non confectus, non reficiat-