I remember wondering in the past if starlings migrate, and here's the answer. Not entirely! We still have some hanging around in our garden, though they seem fewer than in summer. I don't see the starling squabbles on the bird feeder that I see in warmer months.
According to a quick Google check, starlings in the UK and in warmer parts of Europe tend to stay put, while starlings from colder areas like Scandinavia and Russia migrate south. They are a "partially migratory" species.
So there you have it. I knew that was keeping you up at night.
Not much happened yesterday, aside from being super-busy at work. We've had lots of books coming back and I've had old displays to take down and new ones to put up, just to get past all the Christmas/holiday stuff.
I had to abandon my walk to work yesterday morning because the sidewalk was so icy and slippery. I found my feet sliding around a few times and though I didn't fall, I also didn't want to take the risk. I hopped onto the tube about a third of the way to school, but I did walk home last night after the ice had melted.
Free boots, anyone? With a sort of icy castle/princess theme?
Very wise to abandon walking to work! Last year we had what is called Blitzeis in German; "flash ice" literally; it descended so quickly that everybody was taken completely by surprise, and people were falling left, right and centre. The usual 7-minute walk to the train station took me around 20 minutes. I should have just turned round and worked from home, but I do have a stubborn streak.
ReplyDeleteThose wellies are cute! Probably not the right size for me, though.
Our patio is icy and yesterday the dog ran off the grass at speed onto the ice and did a wonderful , slightly crouched, four footed slide all the way across. Wish I could have filmed it! Ice skating lessons coming soon!
ReplyDeleteI did some great skating moves on our patio yesterday, luckily no one was there to watch.
ReplyDeleteIf those boots are a size 4 send them my way 😅
ReplyDeleteThe wellingtons have probably been abandoned. They are cold in winter.
ReplyDeleteSomeone will be very happy with those boots after a good cleaning. I am so grateful to you for the migratory information about the starlings. I’ve been tossing and turning for weeks.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare mentions starlings only once in Henry IV, Part 1, Act 1, Scene 3, where Hotspur boasts, "Nay, I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak / Nothing but Mortimer, and give it him / To keep his anger still in motion".
ReplyDeleteI just read about icy pavements elsewhere, and they do seem to be a problem.
ReplyDeleteWe have resident robins and get additional ones in spring. They arrive suddenly like a commuter train just pulled in. I often wonder if the year rounders sigh oh cripes, the tourists are back.
ReplyDeleteThose boots remind me of our last night in England on our first longer trip. We stayed at a Premier Inn at Gatwick. All evening long there was repetitive stomping -- like running -- in the room above us. Finally (it was still going on a bed time) we called the desk and apparently they talked to the people and it stopped. Till 4 a.m. A couple hours later we went to the restaurant for breakfast and there was this little girl in her pink cowboy boots stomping all over the restaurant! The sound and pace was the same. I'm glad I'm not her parents.
ReplyDeleteBefore the cats were granted the Freedom of the Garden we used to have squadrons of starlings on the feeders. They were very entertaining. Sadly, they are now in decline, along with the house sparrow.
ReplyDeleteAre you going to wear the Princess Boots on the icy walks???
ReplyDeleteI still remember the last time I fell down. I broke three ribs. Falling isn't easy like it was when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteI got Tim a pair of ice cleats for Christmas. They were surprisingly inexpensive. Also surprisingly effective.
ReplyDeleteThe boots look to have a "Frozen" movie theme with the 2 little Princesses!
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget the first time I realized that ice is very, very slippery. I was living in Denver after all my years in Florida. It was a shocking surprise! Oddly, I had no idea and fell right on my ass. Ice in a glass? Good. Ice on a sidewalk or steps? Very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful starling photo. And I do hope someone wants those boots.
When I worked in Chicago, there was an underground walkway that I could take all the way to work but there was about a block and a half that I needed to walk outside to get to the walkway. One icy morning I was standing on the corner waiting for the light to change and whooop...I slipped and fell right on my butt. A kind person helped me up, I was okay. No damage done. Just a bit of embarrassment. At my age now, that would probably have been a serious situation. I do have a fear of falling these days.
ReplyDeleteIt's been icy off and on here. Right now there is enough snow to cover the ice which is helpful.
ReplyDeleteI like starlings, which is not a popular opinion in Canada. They are interlopers here, but I love how they talk to each other.
That's a very attractive pair of boots.
ReplyDeleteWe have a gang of marauding Starlings that have definitely not bothered to migrate anywhere this year. They empty the birdfeeders within minutes, whenever we top everything up. They've even started enjoying the fat balls now, which use to be safe from them.
ReplyDeleteGreat capture of the Starlings.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Never take a chance on ice!
ReplyDeleteNice photo showing the Starlings at your feeder.
ReplyDeleteYou are wise not to tempt fate when dealing with icy sidewalks.
My driveway is a slick of ice. When the sun shines the ice melts a bit then at night everything re-freezes. The only solution is sand.
Those boots are pretty! I would wear them although they look too big for me. Starlings are nuisance birds around here. They eat our berries!
ReplyDeleteYou could wear those boots and have traction on the ice. You need spiked boots for winter walking.
ReplyDeleteVery cute wellies.
ReplyDeleteToo small for you Steve?
ReplyDelete