Wednesday's Wisdom: More Info re Starlings

EUROPEAN STARLING

EUROPEAN STARLINGS

The two photos atop this entry features European starlings spending time in my urban garden. In the first one, a starling is alighting upon the branches of my kiwi vines; which, as you may recall, are a flora type that inspired my first garden themed movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame...almost; which can be within my Vimeo channel, by clicking here. In the second one, starlings are having a heated discussion at one of my bird feeders. Both of these photographs were taken in bygone years. As you may know, this bird type has been the subject of a number of my entries within my cyber-venues, and, my post recent post regarding them was published here on Blogger nearly two weeks ago (March 23rd 2017).

In any event, the European starlings who visited my rooftop garden yesterday, and who can be seen doing so, in the following pictures...

EUROPEAN STARLINGS

EUROPEAN STARLINGS

EUROPEAN STARLINGS

...are the inspiration for this blog posting. The images directly above, features a shameless male starling checking out (if not leering at ) a female starling as a possible mate. The female pictured here seems a little uncomfortable (as evidenced by the way she is holding herself) at being scrutinized.

People-ing on the UWS!

 

Check out a European starling doing some people watching (or people-ing) on the UWS of Manhattan.

This bird type is featured in my new book, BIRD TALES and has a story within the third volume of Words In Our Beak.

Throwback Thursday: Mr. Eugene Schieffelin (He was for the birds, especially starlings.)

The photograph atop today's entry was taken during this past Tuesday's nor'Easter; a "bombogenesis," winter storm named STELLA. It's a picture featuring a representative of one of the dozens upon dozens of dozens of European starlings who spent the entire day in my rooftop garden, eating and squawking (not sedate like the one seen here) while the blizzard raged on (as evidenced in the following images).

This bird type that I'm speaking of is a member of the Sturnus vulgaris family whom are also known by the common name of European starling. Evidently this variety of bird was brought to NYC from England by Eugene Schieffelin in March of 1890, and he subsequently released them in Central Park. 

I first learned of Eugene Schieffelin's antics in March of 2014 and wrote about the news-worthy topic on TLLG's Facebook Page. I also wrote about it on hometalk, with a follow-up entry here on Blogger. 

Now, in preparation for today's throwback Thursday post, I've read other interesting information re Eugene Schieffelin's "responsibility" in bringing starlings across the pond, as well as interesting facts re this ubiquitous bird type, all of which I'm sharing in this entry.

Mockingbirds and starlings have common behaviors! Tuesday's Truths WK 208

For this 208th segement of my Tuesday's Truths series, I'd like to tell you a behavior that the bird types (European starlings and Northern mockingbirds) featured in the photos atop this entry have in common.

The Consequence of Reporting on Sturnus vulgaris (European starlings)

On Sunday, March 16th 2014, the day before a number of folks were due to celebrate the Saint Patrick's Day holiday, I realized another holiday was taking place. The holiday I am referring to is the 124th anniversary of the arrival of the bird type known as Sturnus vulgaris (European starlings) in New York City, the city where I live and have an urban garden that this bird type is now visiting. It appears they truly enjoy noshing here as evidenced by the photos above.

A Young Starling Tries The "Stewie" Tactic!

A very young European starling, alighting on a bird feeder, which is hanging on the Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi), that grows in my urban garden, had his/her beak wide open for a number of minutes (as evidenced by te four images atop this blog entry).

A European Starling's Healing Power

EUROPEAN STARLINGS HAVE A STORY IN VOL3

Earlier this morning, I published an entry here on Blogger which documented day seventh of the Clapping/Cheering Sessions (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) being held to commemorate and encourage health care professionals, first responders and essential workers who are taking  care of NYC during this pandemic. All we have ben asked to do is to stay at home and shelter in place.

I've been doing this since the night of March 21, 2020, the eve of the day when the mayor and governor's mandate went into effect. This lock down is a concerted effort to slow down the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Admittedly, it is easier for me to shelter in place because I have a garden right outside my door. It is atop a roof extension. One of the European starlings visiting my rooftop garden the other day kept me company as he mesmerized me while I watched him during a "battle" he was having with a grape as seen in the picture directly above.

European starlings got this: The Importance of Washing! Tuesday's Truths WK 179

EUROPEAN STARLINGS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3 

EUROPEAN STARLINGS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

EUROPEAN STARLINGS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3 

EUROPEAN STARLINGS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3 

EUROPEAN STARLINGS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

Welcome to my 179th segment in my Tuesday's Truths series. This evening I was blessed to witness an avian creature adhering to the on going request/plea during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, which is to wash one's hands: A European starling visiting my garden seemingly understood the importance of washing too, as evidenced by these photo-ops (directly above) of this creature taking a bath in my garden.

Tuesday's Truths WK 49: Young birds & fledglings love having grapes!

Welcome to the forty-ninth week of my Tuesday's Truths. Today's post is dedicated to young birds (or should I say fledgings) including an European starling (pictured above — eating a grape— in my rooftop garden).

This little bird and I have something in common: We both appreciate grapes. Only I appreciate my grapes after they are "transformed" into a glass of wine!

And because I know how much I enjoy a glass (or two) of vino, I always make sure that I have placed grapes for my visiting birds in either a bird feeder (such as the one above) or on a saucer (such as the one below), where a young American Robin has grabbed one and is enjoying having his/her own grape.

The young Northern mockingbird is a bit more apprehensive about indulging (as evidenced in the next set of images); perhaps he/she is a bit intimidated by the other birds who are visiting my place.

I don't blame the Northern mockingbird for being cautious about partaking in the eating of a grape!

After all, perhaps he/she has heard the news re how those who grow grapes in vineyards for purposes of making wine attempt to keep birds away from their grapes by employing falcons to take care of starlings, robins and mockingbirds!

Yellow Coloration in Nature

I came upon the Silver-Spotted Skipper (seen in the image atop this entry) when I took a walk in Central Park twith CF his past Saturday and I included facts re him/her in my blog post for that day. This creature is on my mind today because I've been thinking about his/her yellow markings as well as elements of nature who have yellow in their coloring.

Tuesday's Truths WK 1: The Construction of Young Starlings's Beaks Help Their Parents!

                              

Those of you who have followed this blog over the years have probably discovered that I have incorporated certain templates and after a bit of time stopped using them, switched to another format, but have often wound up reverting back to what I started with. My behavior re this "process" reminds me of how Oscar Wilde once described his editing. Here's what he said: “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.”

Today, Tuesday, July 19th 2016, I am returning to a posting feature I once provided in my blog during the years of 2011 and 2012. The feature I am speaking of is to designate a given day of the week for an entry topic. During the years of 2011 and 2012, I often designated Mondays as "Mondays Musings"; Wednesdays as "Wednesday's Wisdom", and Friday's as "Follow-Up Friday." I set aside Tuesday's for referring folks to my activity on tumblr and called those Blogger posts, "If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr..." 

While it has been a long time since I desingnated a certain day of the week as a springboard for a blog topic, all of those day-of-the-week posts can still be found within my blog by going to the left hand column titled TLLG's Blog Archive. Meanwhile, as I just stated, today, Tuesday, July 19th 2016, I am returning to a posting feature, which will be designating a day of the week as a springboard for a post. 

Beginning with this Tuesday,  I will feature "Tuesday's Truths." These series of posts will provide an interesting fact about flora growing in my urban (NYC) rooftop garden and or an interesting fact re a member of the avian community who visits it. I was encouraged to return to this type of feature by Jenn G, a young woman who works in my hood (she drew the bird I've featured below).

Jenn believes that folks are interested in fun facts and has encouraged me to share some of what I know, hence my new Tuesday thing. I'll start this new series with a fact that I've just about the bird type known as European starlings. One can be seen (in the images posted below) alighting upon the container which is home to the kiwi vines which grow in my garden. 

Some of you may recall, I was once criticized (by a stranger) for writing about this bird type. Be that as it may, I am continue to be fascinated by the antics of European starlings; and I recently discovered something I hadn't known about them, after placing a saucer of blueberries atop the table in my garden.

Splish Splash

EUROPEAN STARLINGS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

In yesterday's (6-17-2020) blog post, I mentioned that a European starling who had stopped by my place for a dip (on Tuesday, June 16th)) seemed miffed by a hovering low-flying helicopter that was flying within the vicinity and  over my garden.

Thankfully he/she  didn't let the helicopter's disruption deter him/her (unless the creature was another one), from returning to my place.

Photo-Ops from #ClapBecauseWeCare 65 & A Protest (Plus a return to pre-COVID topics)

PROTEST RE GEORGE FLOYD

PROTEST RE GEORGE FLOYD

PROTEST RE GEORGE FLOYD

PROTEST RE GEORGE FLOYD

As I said in this past Tuesday's blog post, I've been very distracted by the ramifications of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and now by the demonstrations/curfews taking place in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.

I also confessed it is high time (and even past high time) to think about the beauty of my garden's flora as well as in the birds who visit it. However, in spite of my intention, here I am "reporting" on last evening's (June 3rd 2020) sixty-fifth session of #ClapBecauseWeCare, as well as on an event concerning the killing of George Floyd, for just as the clapping tribute was scheduled to take place, throngs of protestors re the murder of George Floyd marched against traffic up an avenue close to where I live, and a few photo-ops can be seen atop this entry.