Pet Lovers

[drizzellla]

For several months we have been putting out 3 cakes of suet for the birds and a special bag of seeds for smaller birds. It was amazing to watch all the different birds that came to eat the suet. And they all seemed to be able to have everyone have their time on the suet,

Then a month ago came a Momma Starling and she brought her 5 little ones. It was so cute. The little ones would sit on the ground with their mouths open and Momma would feed them.  Well, they aren't cute little ones anymore. They have grown and now they spend most of the day on the suet cakes. And if they aren't on the suet cake they are flying into a bird that is on the suet cake. There are sometimes 3-4 Starlings trying to be on the same cake. Their wings are fluttering like crazy.

The Starlings have chased away all the other birds. And are able to go through suet cakes in a matter of a few hours. Yesterday afternoon my husband filled all 3 holders and this morning all 3 are empty.

Wish the Starlings would learn to share.

[NickNack]

@drizzellla   I have a starling problem with my cylinder cake.  When they take over (I have 1 or 2) I let the cylinder run out and then don't fill it for about a week.  It takes them a little while to come back.  I also have safflower seeds in a feeder, and the starlings don't like that.  I have sunflower seeds in a squirrel buster plus feeder, and they are too heavy for the perches, and it closes the door to the seed.

[candys mine]

Maybe cut out the suet for a while.  Starlings are a nusance bird as you are finding out.  They are EVERYWHERE in my area Big flocks of them.  I'd really try to Lop  this in the bud. 

Funny that I can't say N*P.

[jackthebear]

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@drizzellla wrote:

For several months we have been putting out 3 cakes of suet for the birds and a special bag of seeds for smaller birds. It was amazing to watch all the different birds that came to eat the suet. And they all seemed to be able to have everyone have their time on the suet,

Then a month ago came a Momma Starling and she brought her 5 little ones. It was so cute. The little ones would sit on the ground with their mouths open and Momma would feed them.  Well, they aren't cute little ones anymore. They have grown and now they spend most of the day on the suet cakes. And if they aren't on the suet cake they are flying into a bird that is on the suet cake. There are sometimes 3-4 Starlings trying to be on the same cake. Their wings are fluttering like crazy.

The Starlings have chased away all the other birds. And are able to go through suet cakes in a matter of a few hours. Yesterday afternoon my husband filled all 3 holders and this morning all 3 are empty.

Wish the Starlings would learn to share.

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starlings will eat everything you have to take the feeders away

[Ladylaughsalot]

Best of luck. Since we moved, we have had a problem with a mockingbird trying to take over the bird feeders. We had to remove our suet feeders all together. We also switched to safflower seed instead of sunflower seeds. This seems to have worked for  us. We now have a problem with a raccoon knocking our feeders down. We never had any of these problems at our prior residences. Oddly enough, our prior residence was more rural. Hope you find a solution to your problem.

[LindaSal]

Good time to remove the suets, they don't keep well in the summer heat anyway.

[ValuSkr]

Starlings are unwelcome, as you've seen.  They don't play well with other birds. I wish there was a way to send them back to Europe where they came from.

[AuntG]

The boys in my neighborhood got BB practice by shooting starlings. It was the 1960's when every kid in the country got a BB gun for their Birthday or Christmas. Not something I'd advocate now.

[morganjen]

European Starlings are one of only two birds species that are not protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Starlings decimate the native woodpecker population.

[fthunt]

@LindaSal Agree...........I take the suet cakes down first sign of spring.  They get soft and make a mess of crumbs.  Birds need energy food in the winter........but not summers.