For the last few days BeAnne has been very interested in a certain amphora that lives in our garden (decoration, not function).
(as you can see, we rather need something to break up the monotony of the green theme going on here)
BeAnne is not subtle about her desire to get at the contents and spends much of her day with her snout down the opening, peering in to see if there is any new developments.
If you can prize her snout out, much to her indignation, this is the beautiful sight that greets you.
Four perfect starling eggs sitting in a bed of old straw and feathers.
Others, who are better equipped for getting the eggs, are not interested. Loki has better things on his mind ….
…. while Wu is playing Living Tetris with Flossie’s fur animals (two “dead” cats and her pet direwolf).
The eggs are stunning but, to be honest, I am not holding my breath that a) they might hatch or b) even if they did hatch, they will get to fledge as certain small furry bog-brush-dog is not going to leave them alone.
I did think of moving the amphora but a bird expert said he didn’t think Mum would return if we did that.
What to do?
Why does this remind me of two of Aesop’s fables:
– The Crow and the Pitcher
– The Fox and the Stork
How about encircling it with chicken wire?
Here’s hoping the starling mum beats the odds. I second the chicken wire idea!
Great photo of Loki – seems to fit my impression of his personality…
In the U.S., starlings are considered nuisance birds (a “pest species”), introduced in the late 19th century. They are greedy and invasive. So I have mixed feelings about them, especially as they displace and deter native species. But their eggs certainly are pretty (great closeup photo!), and I guess they deserve to live — they can’t help it if they’re starlings. Chicken wire sounds like a good idea if you don’t want nature to take its course.
I wonder what Loki is thinking?
those are beautiful eggs. Good luck with distracting BeAnne. Terriers are so driven.
I’ve never seen Starling eggs; so beautiful! They get a bad rap here in the U.S. Yes, they can displace native species, but they eat a LOT of bugs, are beautiful, and are excellent mimics. And it may not all be pure mimicry! I highly recommend the book, “Arnie the Darling Starling;” it changed my mind forever about these birds!
Yes, starlings are invasive in the U.S. but red oak and silver maple are invasive in Europe (which is difficult to believe, as they’re considered noble trees in the U.S.). Conclusion: everything in its place (or perhaps rather New Pangea is coming).
P.S. With respect to silver maples, their growth can be slowed down by tapping their sap for maple syrup. People in Europe should really do that. 🙂