Published on 12, July, 2020
Does anyone else do this? I really hate suffering (also bullying) of any kind and this extends to saving worms drowning in puddles, snails in the middle of the path ready to be trod on, bees in the middle of the road and such like. Today I walked past a worm drowning in a puddle and had to turn back to go save it. Any kind of animal suffering means huge emotional turmoil for me, more so than any suffering of humans. I’ll think about it for the rest of the day. It also means I really struggle with adverts asking for donations and showing donkeys in awful states and whatever other animals they show. I have to turn it over as I can’t physically do anything to help them and get an awful feeling in my stomach.
We have a 1930s house and the wooden edging of the eaves under the roof clearly has holes in it.
We won't have it replaced however as starlings (on the UK conservation 'red' list) use it as an entrance to nest at least a couple of times a year.
It's right above my bedroom so each morning I wake up to their usual whistles and other odd sounds
They are fantastic mimics. They mimic other birds and have been known to mimic machinery.
Here's an interesting fact: they clean the nest by bringing the faeces out in their beaks.
I can watch them do this from my bedroom window.
What I'm curious about is where they take it as they fly off at high speed with it when they could just drop it when they exit.
So, if you ever get bird poo land on you, it could be from a bird's beak!
The hatchlings' waste is produced as a package with a sort of gelatinous coating, so that it can be easily removed by the parents. The parents probably instinctively carry it some distance from the nest, as an easily seen, or smelled, pile of bird droppings would give away the position of the nest to predators.
Welcome back.
I remember reading that now.
That's why it's so solid in their beaks.
Martin said: The parents probably instinctively carry it some distance from the nest, as an easily seen, or smelled, pile of bird droppings would give away the position of the nest to predators.
Good point.