Roosting starlings

[Impaler]

Starlings roosting on masts at Lossiemouth on Thursday. They didn’t stay for very long though. What is interesting is that each was positioned so that should they let loose a plip-plop it wouldn’t land on the fellah below.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Whoops, must go back to Specsavers, thought the thread was titled ‘roasting starlings’ which having just come back from my boat after finding it covered in starling crap I feel might like to roast a few.

 

[johnalison]

That is impressive geometrical reasoning for a bird. You mean they deliberately chose rigging that was angled rather than vertical to avoid fouling their inferior neighbour? I think it might also be that a vertical wire is quite hard to hang on to. Good luck with the pressure wash.

 

[Leighb]

I have watched them roosting on steep upper shrouds where they could not quite keep position but were slowly sliding down, when the bottom one was about to be squashed it flew back up to the top, this went on for quite a while, fascinating to watch.

 

[mainsail1]

Last year in Kyle Akin we had exactly this problem. Nothing we could do would budge hundreds of starlings , then suddenly a hawk or similar bird dive bombed the starlings and took one away. The rest fled and never returned.

 

[Sailsalot]

In Lymington last week the marina were using a falconer in the early evening, presumably to scare the starlings and seagulls away, was interesting to watch.

 

[richardbrennan]

As I have said on other posts; they also use a falconer at Haslar Marina and it seems to work.

 

[rotrax]

If they are on your boat whilst you are aboard a quick twang of the shrouds seems to get them moving. I come from the pilothouse and give the Port backstay a thump with my palm.

They disapear real quick. Every time. Trouble is, they come back after a good feed of elderberries and blackberries when I'm not there!

 

[chrisedwards]

Whats wrong with the good old scarecrow which will stow away easily? I use an inflatable doll with satisfying results.

 

[rotrax]

I use an inflatable doll with satisfying results.

Your personal peccadiloes are your own private matters when you are aboard-no need to tell us what you get up to in the privacy of your cabin!