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Bird Watching
gamekeeper1

Srarlings and grackles

8 years ago

Always hear negative talk about these birds but with the heavy feeding we do a large number are visiting our gardens.For 47 years the old cherry trees that border our property have been infested with catapillars.Last year when I started a new/improved feeding program and the starlings and grackles came heavy they ate the catapillars and the the trees were /are lovely.Had considered removing the cherries but the birds love them and glad I waited to see nature working.

Featured Answer
  • 8 years ago

    Certainly enjoy them eating my annual invasion of browntails or whatever caterpillars adorn and eat my trees.

    Comments (6)

    • 8 years ago

      That's great news!

      I'm getting lots of starlings and grackles now. I don't mind a few of them but when they take over the feeders then I get annoyed. The cardinals have a harder time feeding. I do have caged feeders for the smaller birds.

    • 8 years ago

      I hate those buggers!!

    • 8 years ago

      Perhaps you know more than mother nature

    • 8 years ago

      usually when the grackles and starlings get done being grackles and starlings, they leave the area and the other, more lovable birds come back.

    • 8 years ago

      Grackles are alright, but like most other Icterids, tend to travel in large, voracious groups. But, so do house finches. The only difference I think is stomach size. I think they can even be kind of pretty.

      As an introduced species, starlings I have a hard time with. I don't have too much malice towards them, its not THEIR fault some fool decided that we needed to have them just because Shakespeare wrote about them I certainly don't have too soft a spot for invasives of any kind.

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