[NatureNS] Starlings as aerial insectivores?

From: "john belbin" <jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <3484d1c80909021314s24bd01cera25826edf1ebde78@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 18:13:19 -0300
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0035_01CA2BF9.0C96C920
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Richard,
early this afternoon there were swarms of what appeared to be small =
flying ants everywhere near my home in Hantsport. They covered =
everything and drove us indoors from our deck. The starlings seemed to =
be the only things that were interested in them, the other garden birds =
just carried on normally and I saw no actual "insect eaters" anywhere. =
At least the starlings are good for something besides raiding the =
feeders. By about 4pm the swarming insects had gone from the air, but =
they were still running about all over the ground.

We still have several highly active Humming Birds - they seem to be very =
attracted to the roses when they aren't fighting over the feeders. One =
has been sitting on the wire handle of a feeder for much of the past =
several days so that it can get a good run at the opposition.
John Belbin
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Richard Stern=20
  To: NatureNS=20
  Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 5:14 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Starlings as aerial insectivores?


  Hi,

  Twice today I have watched large but loosely-knit flocks of Starlings =
flying high, and behaving just like Swifts or Swallows - darting about  =
and certainly looking as if they are catching small aerial insects. I =
can't say I have specifically noticed that before, but I presume it's a =
common phenomenon for opportunists.

  Richard

  --=20
  #################
  Richard Stern,=20
  317 Middle Dyke Rd.
  Port Williams, NS, Canada
  B0P 1T0

  sternrichard@gmail.com
  ###################

------=_NextPart_000_0035_01CA2BF9.0C96C920
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.18813">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Richard,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>early this afternoon there were swarms =
of what=20
appeared to be small flying ants everywhere near my home in Hantsport. =
They=20
covered everything and drove us indoors from our deck. The starlings =
seemed to=20
be the only things that were interested in them, the other garden birds =
just=20
carried on normally and I saw no actual "insect eaters" anywhere. At =
least the=20
starlings are good for something besides raiding the feeders. By about =
4pm the=20
swarming insects had gone from the air, but they were still running =
about all=20
over the ground.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>We still have several highly active =
Humming Birds -=20
they seem to be very attracted to the roses when they aren't fighting =
over the=20
feeders. One has been sitting on the wire handle of a feeder for much of =
the=20
past several days so that it can get a good run at the =
opposition.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>John Belbin</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dsternrichard@gmail.com =
href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com">Richard=20
  Stern</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 02, =
2009 5:14=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Starlings =
as aerial=20
  insectivores?</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>Hi,<BR><BR>Twice today I have watched large but =
loosely-knit=20
  flocks of Starlings flying high, and behaving just like Swifts or =
Swallows -=20
  darting about&nbsp; and certainly looking as if they are catching =
small aerial=20
  insects. I can't say I have specifically noticed that before, but I =
presume=20
  it's a common phenomenon for opportunists.<BR><BR>Richard<BR =
clear=3Dall><BR>--=20
  <BR>#################<BR>Richard Stern, <BR>317 Middle Dyke =
Rd.<BR>Port=20
  Williams, NS, Canada<BR>B0P 1T0<BR><BR><A=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com">sternrichard@gmail.com</A><BR>####=
###############<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0035_01CA2BF9.0C96C920--

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects