I hate Starlings!!!!!!

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20th November 2008, 14:00
Buleste

I hate Starlings!!!!!!

As the owner of three cats I feel it's my duty to give something back to the wildlife that they very occasionally kill. So this year I've decided to try a huge bird feeding campaign in my garden. A new bird table, 2 feeding stations, several feeders and about 1 tonne of food. This has worked wonders. I have loads of birds feeding in my garden unfortunately most of them are Starlings who leave bugger all for the rest of the birds. It's gotten so bad I'm teaching my cats enemy recognition so that they only go for Starlings. Unfortunately the bastards are so well fed that they have the energy to play "chicken" with my cats and leave until the last second before they give a sudden burst of energy to get out the way. I even think that some of them are starting to tease my cats. Bastards!!!!!
20th November 2008, 15:01
Harrison

Starlings are also a problem for us. We put a new bird feeding station in the back garden, and while we have seen a couple of Robins and a Blackbird feeding most are Starlings. Not sure how it is possible to deter them from hovering up all the food either.

One strange thing we can't work out is that none of the birds are touching the peanet or wid bird seed feeders. These remain completely full, while the fat balls and wild bird cake gets eaten. Any ideas? Could it be the location within the garden?
20th November 2008, 15:20
Buleste

At the moment nothing is touching peanuts and It depends on the type of feeder as to how much bird seed goes (make sure you get the wheat free bird seed or else you'll have a field of wheat growing like I do). I make a mixture of suet, dried meal worms and bird seed and put that in feeders and it goes much quicker than birdseed on it's own. I think this is because fat balls, wild bird cake, suet etc. are high energy foods (The McD's of the bird world) but if you make a mix then you make sure that you are feeding the birds a balanced diet and attracting different kinds of birds as well (I get Robins, Sparrows, Blackbirds, Chaffinches, Yellow Crests (although less of them since one of my cats caught one), Blue Tits, Great Tits and Coal Tits with my mix). If you're lucky you may even get the odd Sparrow Hawk as well (not so lucky for the birds but rough and smooth). The other thing is have bird seed on a flat surface as most seed and berry eaters would get the food off the ground so they prefer to feed on flat surfaces (It's amazing what you find out on the net when you want to get rid of Starlings). Also sometimes it's better to have the food or feeding stations out in the open so that the birds feel safer as they have a better view of the surrounding area and can keep an eye out for predators.

If I was a foot shorter and 30 years older I'd be Bill Oddie.
20th November 2008, 15:25
Harrison

:lol:

We do also have a bird table and do put sun flower seeds on there and they do go, but I've not seen what has been eating those. And the feeding station is out in the open away from any big trees or shrubs so I don't think that is the issue. Maybe it is too close to the house and needs to be moved further down the garden? Only issue then is we won't be able to easily see what's at the table from the sofa! :lol: Time to buy some binoculars!
20th November 2008, 15:33
Buleste

To close to the house won't be a problem as we've got a feeding station and a bird table about 10 foot from our house and that's getting some regular visits from Tits.
20th November 2008, 16:01
Bloodwych

Great thread - I laughed reading Buleste's opening post. Good stuff! :D

Starlings are a pain because they go around in huge mob numbers like locusts. They're also quite aggressive for their size. However, apparently they are considered endangered as their numbers have dropped by half in the last 25 years. Since they are a flock bird, they have many eyes all searching for danger, so your Cat is in for a hard time catching them!

I find it difficult to believe they are considered endangered, as in my area I see far more of these birds than any other and they look to be doing quite well.

Many people share your opinion on Starlings due to their nature, although I hear they're loved in America.
20th November 2008, 16:19
Buleste

Did you know?

The Starling population in America started with 80 birds brought over from England by someone who thought that it would be nice to have the same wildlife as in his native land?(This is true)

Americans who like Starlings are called morons because they are more like vermin than any pigeon (Starlings not Americans who like Starlings)? (This is meant as a humorous comment not an insult)

Any Starling that comes into my garden will be considered endangered if they don't stop eating all the bloody food I put out? (Again humorous comment. I'm not going to go out and start killing Starlings.)
20th November 2008, 21:50
mpaulj

Starlings etc.

Although I have starlings in my garden, the main greedy guts are a couple of collared doves. They just sit on the bird table stuffing themselves for ages.
I do also have blackbirds, robins, sparrows, wren and other common birds so it is not a total disaster.
However, if any cats are seen by me, they had better run for their lives, as I am quite handy chucking a half brick or similar sized missile at the filthy vermin.
To me, cat owners are either stupid or inconsiderate. Stupid because they do not realise their cat will always shit on other peoples property, go caterwauling and slaughter the local wildlife indiscriminately and needlessly, or inconsiderate because they do not care.
Either way, a cat owner makes a lousy neighbour!
Regards,
Mike.
21st November 2008, 08:30
Buleste

I'm neither stupid nor inconsiderate so don't include me in your sweeping generalisations. Next time leave such views to yourself.
21st November 2008, 12:09
Buleste

BTW domesticated animals cannot be classed as vermin. The OED definition of vermin is:-

Quote:

vermin

• noun treated as pl. 1 wild mammals and birds which are harmful to crops, farm animals, or game, or which carry disease. 2 parasitic worms or insects. 3 very unpleasant and destructive people.
26th November 2008, 15:13
J T

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpaulj

To me, cat owners are either stupid or inconsiderate.

Yeah, well I'm both. And so's your face.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buleste

Great Tits

*Snigger*
26th November 2008, 16:06
Buleste

Quote:

Originally Posted by J T

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpaulj

To me, cat owners are either stupid or inconsiderate.

Yeah, well I'm both. And so's your face.

So you don't own any cats then ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by J T

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buleste

Great Tits

*Snigger*

I haven't even mentioned the Coal Tits, Blue Tits or Crested Tits.;)
26th November 2008, 17:24
J T

We live in a second floor flat, so no we don't have any pets. But when we have a house we'll definitely get a cat. I love cats.
26th November 2008, 17:49
Buleste

Quote:

Originally Posted by J T

We live in a second floor flat, so no we don't have any pets. But when we have a house we'll definitely get a cat. I love cats.

May you have many pussies roaming about the house and cats.;)

After hearing about a conversation on "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!" about breast implants there may be a new definition of Blue Tits;)!
26th November 2008, 23:29
TiredOfLife

Any cat comes round my garden, gets short shrift a well.
No problems with starlings either.

This is because we get tons of magpies.
They bully everything in site including cats which is a bit mad.
Normally get a pair together driving cats off.

Also the larger of our two rabbits doesn't like cats and tends to chase them.
The cheeky thing pretty much thinks the whole house and garden belongs to her.

I blame the missus.
The rabbit kicks shit out of the hutch and pen if not fed at the same time every day.
Including weekends.
My missus gets up, feeds the rabbits and then goes back to sleep. :nuts:

No wonder the rabbit thinks she's in charge.
1st December 2008, 10:36
Bloodwych

LOL TiredofLife! :lol: Those bunnies are the boss! All your space are belong to us!

I used to have a pet rabbit and they are bold critters once they get an attitude. Lived for about 14 years I think, perhaps longer! A small block of wood for them to knaw on and carry around is a good idea or they start decimating a wooden hutch or pen fairly quickly.

Magpies are buggers - very bullish birds and like to raid and destroy other birds nests and young.

As for Starlings: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7755309.stm
1st December 2008, 12:45
Buleste

So all I need to get rid of the Starlings is to employ a young Italian with a megaphone!!! Cool! Make mine an attractive young woman with big..........hair!;)
3rd December 2008, 15:11
Buleste

I've found an MP3 of starlings in distress that you can blast at them to drive them away. You can find it here. It's a 84.1MB file lasting about 45 mins. It sounds horrible but if it works then great.
3rd December 2008, 18:44
Bloodwych

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buleste

I've found an MP3 of starlings in distress that you can blast at them to drive them away. You can find it here. It's a 84.1MB file lasting about 45 mins. It sounds horrible but if it works then great.

Just play some Christmas songs, I'm sure it'll have the same effect.
3rd December 2008, 23:34
Harrison

Or anything released by an X Factor contestant!
5th December 2008, 12:24
Buleste

I've got a cheap MP3 player with some old crappy small speakers set up outside and I'm directing the sound of the distressed starlings at one of my feed stations and it works. The Starlings are keeping away from that feeding station. They're mobbing the other one but it's a start.