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Birding-Aus Digest, Vol 81, Issue 25

To:
Subject: Birding-Aus Digest, Vol 81, Issue 25
From: Martin Williams <>
Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2020 19:45:12 +1000
We have on the Bellarine Peninsula large flocks of at least 300 Starlings 
flying in instant unison of directional change, scaring the tripes out of our 
Australian Hobby or Collared Sparrowhawk marauders that must be seeing a huge 
menacing single bird in action. Back to that Skylark methinks.

Sent from my iPhone

> On 1 Aug 2020, at 1:01 pm,  wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. Re: Starlings (Geoff Shannon)
>   2. Starlings (Michael Hunter)
>   3. Re: Starlings (Jason Polak)
>   4. Re: Starlings (Martin Butterfield)
>   5. Starlings and Indian Mynahs. (Michael Hunter)
>   6. Re: Starlings (Paul Doyle)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2020 11:01:21 +1000
> From: Geoff Shannon <>
> To: Jenny Stiles <>
> Cc: Michael Hunter <>,
>    "<>" <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> 
> Interesting series of reports. Here in W Tasmania no problems. Flock 550 in 
> paddock last night. BUT the population in UK is falling and has been raised 
> to RED status because of this.
> 
> 
> From British Trust for Ornithology. More details on website.
> Geoff Shannon
> 
>> On 31 Jul 2020, at 08:58, Jenny Stiles <> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Michael,
>> We see large flocks of Starling in the Richmond Lowlands & Windsor areas. 
>> There are also small flocks at Sydney Olympic park & at all the Eastern 
>> suburbs beaches, so they are certainly still about in Sydney.
>> 
>> Jenny Stiles
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message----- From: Michael Hunter
>> Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2020 10:46 PM
>> To: <>
>> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
>> 
>> Hi everyone,
>> 
>> Where have all the European Starlings gone. ?   Once were thousands in 
>> Sydney, none. seen for a few years around Penrith, Springwood or elsewhere. 
>> Zero.
>> 
>> ? Disease,  Have I missed  something ?
>> 
>> Their absence not a regret , just a mystery.
>> 
>>              TIA
>> 
>>       Michael
>> Sent from my iPhone
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2020 11:30:01 +1000
> From: Michael Hunter <>
> To: "" <>
> Cc: "<>" <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii
> 
> 
> Interesting Geoff, 
> 
>                        Tassie could be their ultimate outpost! Despite the 
> reports, oversell numbest in  Sydney have visibly declined. No one is 
> actually counting as far as I know.
> 
>                          Population Theory  include boom:/bust scenarios, 
> particularly in introduced situations.  The European decline will ultimately 
> derive from human activity I suspect.
> 
>              Best
> 
>                  Michael 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2020 21:42:07 -0400
> From: Jason Polak <>
> To: 
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
> 
> It's hard to imagine Starlings having trouble. When I lived in Melbourne
> (2016-2018) there were places were I would see huge flocks like in Royal
> Park.
> 
> Here in Canada the other day I saw about sixty around a university
> campus. They are always there in all sorts of areas.
> 
> They seem incredibly well adapted. Of course in places like Canada or
> Australia it would probably be good if the population decreased. For
> example, the Purple Martin in Canada often suffers from the takeover of
> Starlings.
> 
> Jason
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2020 11:40:37 +1000
> From: Martin Butterfield <>
> To: Michael Hunter <>
> Cc: "" <>,
>    "<>" <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
> Message-ID:
>    <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> I'd expect lots of people are counting starings and logging them on eBird.
> It is possibly another matter whether anyone is analysing the counts they
> submit.
> 
> Martin Butterfield
> http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/
> https://mallacootaweatherwildlife.blogspot.com/
> 
> 
>> On Sat, 1 Aug 2020 at 11:31, Michael Hunter <>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Interesting Geoff,
>> 
>>                        Tassie could be their ultimate outpost! Despite
>> the reports, oversell numbest in  Sydney have visibly declined. No one is
>> actually counting as far as I know.
>> 
>>                          Population Theory  include boom:/bust scenarios,
>> particularly in introduced situations.  The European decline will
>> ultimately derive from human activity I suspect.
>> 
>>              Best
>> 
>>                  Michael
>> <HR>
>> <BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
>> <BR> 
>> <BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
>> <BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
>> </HR>
>> 
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2020 12:38:52 +1000
> From: Michael Hunter <>
> To: "" <>
> Cc: "<>" <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Starlings and Indian Mynahs.
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii
> 
> 
> Hi Cathy, 
> 
>              As Stephen Ambrose noted, architects are designing buildings 
> which are not conducive to birds, nesting or roosting.  In cities, targeting 
> pigeons in particular, starlings as well.
> 
>              I have seen a large colony of Mynahs nesting in a hole in an 
> ancient Angophora in Mulgoa, in the now Walleroo Nature Reserve, but that 
> didn't last long, possibly because of our large resident Varanus  goannas, or 
> other birds, although none of the latter seen later.
> 
>        But, confirming your suspicions, elsewhere in the Valley when we still 
> had starlings, they were fighting with Rainbow Lorikeets in particular over a 
> nesting hole in an old  Eucalypt, the lorikeets won that battle bit I suspect 
> that possums may have won the war.
> 
>          We eradicated the Indian Mynahs from our place by simply blocking 
> two openings under the  house eaves where they were nesting. Forget traps or 
> other measures, to rid a suburb of Indian Mynahs just block off all their in 
> roof nesting access.  QED.  McMansions in new suburbs probably don't have 
> holes under their eaves.
>               Hopefully they are landscaped with flowering bushy natives, ban 
> cats and insecticides. and have flourishing bird populations including  
> "Blue" wrens.
> 
>           Best 
> 
>               Michael
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 6
> Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2020 12:28:14 +1000
> From: "Paul Doyle" <>
> To: "'Geoff Shannon'" <>, "'Jenny Stiles'"
>    <>
> Cc: "'Michael Hunter'" <>,
>    <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Attached the corresponding info from Ireland.
> 
> There has been a modest decline (7%) in Ireland over 20 years, and a similar
> decrease in continental Europe, during the time that the population in
> Britain has collapsed ~ 50%.
> 
> Food availability is posited here as a probable factor.
> 
> 
> 
> Paul.
> 
> 
> 
> From: Birding-Aus <> On Behalf Of Geoff
> Shannon
> Sent: Saturday, 1 August 2020 11:01 AM
> To: Jenny Stiles <>
> Cc: Michael Hunter <>; <>
> <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting series of reports. Here in W Tasmania no problems. Flock 550 in
> paddock last night. BUT the population in UK is falling and has been raised
> to RED status because of this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> From British Trust for Ornithology. More details on website.
> 
> Geoff Shannon
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 31 Jul 2020, at 08:58, Jenny Stiles <
> <> > wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Michael,
> We see large flocks of Starling in the Richmond Lowlands & Windsor areas.
> There are also small flocks at Sydney Olympic park & at all the Eastern
> suburbs beaches, so they are certainly still about in Sydney.
> 
> Jenny Stiles
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Michael Hunter
> Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2020 10:46 PM
> To: < <> >
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Starlings
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> Where have all the European Starlings gone. ?   Once were thousands in
> Sydney, none. seen for a few years around Penrith, Springwood or elsewhere.
> Zero.
> 
> ? Disease,  Have I missed  something ?
> 
> Their absence not a regret , just a mystery.
> 
>              TIA
> 
>       Michael
> Sent from my iPhone
> <HR>
> <BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
> <BR>  <> 
> <BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
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> </HR>
> 
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> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
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