Unwelcome Guests

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Bluebirds

I should have guessed it was too good to be true. All winter I was enjoying the bluebirds visiting my feeder. I bought a huge bag of dried mealworms. They are expensive but the bluebirds absolutely love them. All was good for several weeks.

One day I heard a ruckus and saw a bird I hadn't seen before. It was a European Starling. It is not a native bird. In 1890 Eugene Schieffelin released 60 Starlings in Central Park after two other failed attempts. The rest is history. They thrived and reproduced.

Starlings love mealworms and swarm down to gorge on them. They are not polite to the bluebirds. They spook easily so I can chase them away if I see them.

Common Starling

I haven't found a feeder that will defeat them. This one has a cover which I lower to make it harder for the starling to feed since they are a larger bird.

Fun Fact, Mozart had a pet Starling and it could sing  part of his Piano Concerto in G Major (KV. 453).

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