Starlings

By Words | Published September 9, 2012

Sometimes you don't get what you expect, and sometimes the highlights are found among the most commonplace of species. I'd gone out in search of more kestrels, and though I spotted one perched along the racing rail which skirts the race course it was generally pretty quiet.

A few stray magpies were flitting about, but it was back at the car park that I got most of my shots. And of all things they were of starlings, mainly juveniles (hence the plain head plumage).

It almost as quiet out in the garden tonight. Just a brief encounter with one of the younger badgers.

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Camera note: all bird shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Badger caught in the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM lens.

This entry was posted in Badger, Birds and tagged , , .

15 Comments

  1. derWandersmann September 9, 2012 at 4:09 am #

    A quiet sort of day, eh? Sometimes they're a real relief.

  2. chthoniid September 9, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    Lovely skies for the starling shots. It's a shame the kestrel wasn't prepraed to perch closer to you 🙂

  3. SittingFox September 10, 2012 at 11:09 am #

    That final starling shot is a great capture of flight motion :up:

  4. derWandersmann September 10, 2012 at 5:09 pm #

    I've always rather enjoyed the brash bullying of starlings … ours are pretty much all-over iridescent black … they used to chase the little house sparrows which lived in my eaves where the soffit had fallen out … the sparrows were small enough to get in; the starlings couldn't, and the two would hurl insults and threats at each other for several minutes. And yes, starlings can hover, at least when their egos are under attack.

  5. Words September 10, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    Chthonid, thanks. I had better luck with kestrels today, though they went nowhere near a perch.

  6. Words September 10, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    dW, I know what you mean, and it's good sometimes to concentrate on the simple subjects.

  7. Words September 10, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    Erwin, thanks!

  8. Words September 10, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    Adele, thanks. I was pleased with that last starling, but it's not really as sharp as I would have liked. It was almost too close.

  9. Words September 10, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    dW, I love the thought of starling egos! Sparrows are very feisty so a starling/sparrow stand-ff could last quite a while. These starlings are in their juvenile plumage… they'll turn iridescent black soon enough.

  10. derWandersmann September 11, 2012 at 3:09 am #

    LOL … yes, they did … they'd go on and on at each other right outside my living-room "ranch window" *, and I'd watch them, laughing. I don't know the language, but there was no mistaking the meaning.

    *Sliding windows, about 15"H × 36"L, mounted at about eye level.

  11. Words September 11, 2012 at 11:09 pm #

    Originally posted by derWandersmann:

    Sliding windows, about 15"H × 36"L, mounted at about eye level.

    Good viewing screen!

  12. derWandersmann September 12, 2012 at 2:09 am #

    Yes, right under the soffit, as it happened in that house, so I didn't even need to look up.

  13. serola September 16, 2012 at 11:09 am #

    Nice starling shots 😎

  14. Words September 18, 2012 at 12:09 am #

    Sami, thanks!

  15. Wulpen October 19, 2012 at 8:10 pm #

    Great Pict :up: