Spring starlings

[eccles]

Just beginning to show some green nuptual feathers. Shot today using Sony 500mm Reflex.
I did some simple PP hedge trimming on the first shot.

Mike.

 

[senna916]

Very nice, #1 for me.

 

[safecracker]

No 1 for me as well.

 

[superpippo]

I like these - nice to see the starling in such detail

 

[LindaB]

Oooh, superb shots Mike

Linda

 

[DaiTheDragon]

Starlings are very colourful birds much underrated. These shots show the bird in all it's glory.

Dai

 

[lammie]

First one for me, a good sharp capture.

 

[artyman]

Nice shots, don't seem to see them so much these days, several years ago they dominated my garden.

 

[LindaB]

Nice shots, don't seem to see them so much these days, several years ago they dominated my garden.

Same here too Ken. I have no idea why the huge drop in numbers round our way as nothing much has changed over the years that I have seen the numbers radically drop. It is a shame.

Linda

 

[artyman]

I think they've all gone down to the Somerset levels so they can appear on the Autumnwatch and Springwatch programmes

 

[u8myufo]

Nicely captured with #1 Mike
I am in the Norton Radstock area, and as mentioned in another thread I have not even seen a Starling for donkeys :shrug: I aint got a clue why they have slowy vanished over the last couple of years.

 

[str1nger]

Nice pictures of a Male starling.

 

[eccles]

Thanks all.
@Str1nger, I guessed the first shot was of a male because of the green nuptual feathers. The second shot is of another bird.
It's a shame that they have declined so much, although the residents of Rome would probably disagree as they roost there in plague proportions.

 

[str1nger]

They are male because of 2 reasons

1. It has a grey patch on its lower mandible (Female is pink)
2. It has a totally black eye (female has a brown ring around edge)

Cheers

 

[LCPete]

Very nice shots mike esp #1
We dont see as many as we used to either
Pete

 

[eccles]

Thanks guys, and to str1inger for the ID tips.