We are now up to two starlings

[conuly]

They're reasonably well-behaved thus far, but if this rate of increase continues we'll have more starlings in the spring! (More and more if they raise a successful nest.)

I don't want to chase the starlings away exactly, but I do want to limit how much I'm feeding them vs other birds. I think I have a simple plan, but if anybody has ideas, let me know. (They're starting to figure out the suet feeders. Now, that one really *is* a problem given the cost of suet... but upside down feeders are also spendy. Blah.)

In other news, that cat Sebastian is now lounging ever closer to humans, like he owns the place, and has started sitting by the food bowl and waiting to be fed. Like he belongs here! And I'll just feed him because he's sitting by the food bowl like a cat who is supposed to be in this house! (I mean, I will, I like all cats, even the ones which ought to be outside because they are not my pet cat, but that's beside the point. I really need to source a trap to get him fixed soon.)

Comments

[jhetley]

We still have a bumper sticker that dates back to the first Earth Day: "Starlings Go Home" . . .

[conuly]

Sadly, they're endangered in their homeland.

To be clear, I really have no grudge against starlings. I just don't want them displacing all the other birds. They can be such exuberant animals in large groups!

[mama_kestrel]

If you have a cat shelter nearby, they might loan out traps for TNR. Our local ones do, but since I'm in Indiana that's not much help.