Day 17.330: European colonialism

This European starling arrived at the feeder before any other birds and left after all the others had given up for the afternoon. Apart from a couple of short periods, it was at the feeder or the bird bath all day.

Nothing was able to displace it when it was settled on one side of the hopper feeder, but it didn't seem to mind the smaller birds using the other side. When a second starling arrived and tried to visit the other side of the feeder however, this guy was quick to see it off. We watched this happen twice. Fortunately, the hundred or so other starlings that have been roosting nearby didn't decide to visit - goodness knows how he would have responded to lots of starlings trying to get in on the feeder action.