Starlings, Thrushes and Nature
Jan 14th, 2008 by Birdy Trish
For the past two or three days when I have taken bird food out to the bird feeders to feed the birds I have come across a thrush on the ground underneath one of the bird tables. There haven’t been any other birds about. The thrush has been the early bird.
I’ve kept walking towards the thrush and it hasn’t moved away. I’ve been standing at the bird table and the thrush has been standing on the grass underneath the bird table.
It’s been magical to be close to a bird that is unafraid of me. The soft colours of the thrush and it’s usual timid ways make me fond of this bird.
This morning I’ve been thinking about it and it struck me that the thrush’s early dash for the bird table about coincides with the return of the starlings who are eating ALL the bird food.
Maybe the thrush has been starving and in order to survive has come to the ground underneath the bird table early to get any bird food leftovers. Maybe it knows I put food out and am not a threat - unlike the starlings who do threaten the thrush by taking all the food.
I can’t win. If I leave the meshed feeder door open the starlings will gather and eat all the cheese and apple and bird food.
If I close the meshed feeder door then the smaller birds like robins, blue tits, sparrows, great tits, finches will be able to eat without having to compete against larger birds.
I’ve just closed the meripac ground feeder door this means only the smaller birds will get to the food.
The blackbird and the starling are now running round the ground feeder together trying to find a way in so they can eat.
The birds that lose out are the blackbird and the thrush. Which isn’t fair.
I can’t control nature and this is the best I can do.
Tags: finches, great-tits, nature, robin, sparrows, starlings, thrushes
