Dennis Paulson wrote:
> I often defend starlings to people who despise them, saying it's our
> fault they are here, not theirs, and that's entirely true.
>
> But today they're straining my patience. I've had this nice suet
> feeder outside my window all winter, and it's bee a great source of
> joy, as bird after bird feeds from it, from flocks of Bushtits to a
> spectacular Pileated Woodpecker. Imagine a Townsend's Warbler on one
> side and a Bewick's Wren on the other.
>
A number of starlings have visited my suet feed recently. My knee-jerk
reaction was to chase them away, then I began to wonder why. It's
obviously a learned reaction and there's a word for it beginning with
p......... Starlings in and of themselves give me no reason to hate
them. True, they are relative recent arrivals, but they came to America
about the same time as my Irish ancestors and I'll fight anybody who
says that us Micks don't belong here. True, they flock together and eat
from our feeders, but so do Brewer's blackbirds and bushtits and
chickadees. I can't get my mind around the idea that bushtits are any
better than starlings.

Starlings are beautiful birds, especially in their winter coats.
They're great mimics and very smart. I got one of my favorite poems
when a starling mother chose my house to nest in a few years ago. I've
attached it to this message in case anyone would like to see what a
starling can accomplish -- or at least inspire.

I was troubled by squirrels going after my feeders this fall, but I
found that if I gave them a little accommodation (their own feeding
station with corn cobs) they didn't go after the bird food much.
Somehow I have a feeling that everyone on Tweeters is rich enough to
accommodate the starlings.

Intended in peace,

Dale

--
Dale Chase
(AKA ravenintherain)
Seattle, Washington
ccorax at blarg.net