As much as I loathe European Starlings, they are a beautiful bird in breeding finery. They have reappeared in our yard this morning (after not having been around for weeks) as the industrious Red-bellied Woodpeckers are about through excavating their nest hole after two weeks of drilling several hours each day. The starlings have chased the woodpeckers away and taken over the nest hole or the nest box from the woodpeckers at three different springs and they also try to nest in a couple of our Purple Martin gourds.
One of the starlings was actually chased away by the male Red-belly, but I know they will be back. Thankfully, along with House Sparrows, the starlings are non-native, invasive exotics and can be legally "dispatched."
After the initial skirmish with the starlings, the male Red-belly moved into the shadows under the branch with the nest hole.
Ever watchful for the starlings
While the male was on alert, the female moved back to the nest hole and started working on removing debris
She kept a watchful eye out for the starlings as well.
The hole is definitely getting large enough .
She can get most of her entire body into the hole now.
Male Purple Martins
Handsome Brown Thrasher
One of the avian world's best singers and one of our very favorite birds. We had one in our oak and one in our mangroves singing at the same time.
And then they moved on.
Wednesday night's moon
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