A bucket full of Starlings and two sorry looking newcomers in Mums garden today

I really should have been doing some weeding in Mums garden today, but I've developed some 'sympathy symptoms' very alike to one of Mums chemo side effects. Very odd. I don't feel at all ill, but the 'sympathy symptoms' kept me more indoors than out. So as the weather was a bit improved from yesterday, the double conservatory doors were opened, some bird food was put in the bucket, and I positioned myself at the table with camera ready.

 

There are now more juvenile Starlings. Yesterday there were only four, today I lost count. Some were still quite young and still with their gape. Others were a few days older and are starting to feed themselves. But they all had one thing in common......they made an awful lot of noise !

 

 

 

 

 

Our Mrs BB now has five eggs to brood. Mr BB came to feed her a couple of times, but she still came down to the deck to feed herself after I'd sprinkled the bird feed in the bucket.

There was quite a bit of activity with the Blackbirds today. This morning I noticed a very sorry looking new female but Mrs BB flew off the nest and chased her away before I could get a closer look. Mr BB also joined in the chase, and this behaviour repeated itself several times, until eventually this afternoon both Mr and Mrs BB appeared to accept the new female Blackbird, and allowed her to feed from the bucket. She has hardly any tail feathers left and is losing some head feathers too. I'm wondering if she has a nest full of chicks nearby, and is possibly a lone parent. She wasn't just taking food for herself, but was also carrying some away. I'm pretty sure she isn't a juvenile as her beak is quite yellow, whereas juveniles beaks are very dull in colour.

 

 The first photo below is of our Mrs BB, the second is of the new female.

 

 

 

The Jackdaws also came to feed from the bucket, the most at one time was seven birds, including this brute below who not only scattered the smaller birds, but also refused to share the bucket with any other Jackdaws. This is him just after mobbing one away.

 

 

The male House Sparrow also came down for some food. There were plenty of other males and females perched in the honeysuckle and ivy, but they weren't quite as keen on having their photos taken.

 

 

A couple of Red Kites went over but I didn't spot any Buzzards today.

 

 

I'd noticed this sorry looking Wood Pigeon yesterday but couldn't get a clear photo. Today he was happy to sit in one of the tray feeders by the conservatory door. Although his condition looks pretty horrendous, he is having no problems in eating and not only did he stand his ground against a Jackdaw that tried to push him off,  he also didn't budge when a juvenile Starling landed on him.

 

 

 

I'm going to contact a couple of wildlife hospitals and see what they say, but until then I don't think its necessary to cause our Beaky any more stress by trying to capture him yet.