Wow! I've seen them flock but not in those numbers! They gather in an empty lot next to where I work and we watch their aerial stunts, it's like they play follow the leader but the leader changes every few moments. What's interesting is that two of our most invasive alien species of birds (european starlings and house sparrows) are both considered endangered in Britain. Makes you wonder if they don't get to the point where the species has outgrown it's natural boundaries and begins to decline. I know I would gladly ship all my starlings over there! We have another winter storm moving through tonight and the birds seemed to know as they were all very actively feeding at dusk. Typically the last birds that I see in the evening are cardinals and tonight when I looked out I counted 43! That was just at the back feeders so I'm sure that count is low. I tried to get a picture of as many as possible but the best I could do was 17. Taken through the window with flash so not my best but you get the idea ... Here is a link that might be useful:

Cathy. . .well, the best time to come to the northern California coast would be ***right now***, but plan for just about *any* weather. Currently, we're in the middle of a heatwave. That's due to change come Thursday. Some mild showers are expected for Friday and Saturday. . .for the **best** in terms of the warmest weather? Believe it or not, typically, *October* is warmest. :) EVERYONE: thank you for your kind comments and posts. I am happy to have brought smiles. . .this series is the shortened version of one I am compiling into a coffee table book. . .details to come soon if you're interested. :)

Same dilemma as to what these are. Took this pix last month, dark beaks and the top one looks like the legs are reddish. I took this a month ago so don't remember how large the birds were, far away up in a tree. Follow up: Bob Carlton Rossmoor Nature Ass'n Prez identified these as European Starlings in fall plummage. More bird images in that gallery. Here is a link that might be useful: Birds congregating...Starlings This post was edited by Cowgirl_in_the_Sand on Wed, Dec 12, 12 at 13:03

I love your photos Claire, they're great. Thanks for posting them, it's always great to see people's pictures. And neat idea to put the suet right up in the tree like that. And...while I was talking on the phone today, I looked out the kitchen window and there was (I thought) the flicker again. I was so excited that he'd hung around - but when I got a better look, the bird was smaller with no red "V" on the neck, and the coloring different somehow. Turned out it was a juvenile flicker! He/She (they don't get the red mark until they are fully matured I found out) ate some suet from the feeder, hung out in the crabapple tree, then took off. I read that these birds can be migratory. Does anyone know whether flickers seen around here (eastern Massachusetts, 7 miles from the coast) would be migratory? I'm almost wondering if that's why I'm seeing them now when I don't, usually. Just wondering -