Please Keep it “on the QT”

I used to think Blue Jays were messy at the feeder until I met Starlings. As I’ve mentioned before, I usually see Starling flocks once or twice a year during migration if I’m lucky (unlucky?), but this winter they’ve decided 50+ inches-of snow-and-counting is a “fun” environment and have stuck around to torture me.

My neighbor isn’t helping the matter by throwing leftovers out his back door every morning (this isn’t new, but usually it only attracts coyotes, raccoons, crows and the other neighbors’ dogs, but that’s another story). Two weeks ago I counted 25 Starlings diving on and and off my feeders. Over the weekend that number ballooned to 81.

Yesterday I went outside and swept up over 20 lbs. of seed from under a now-empty feeder. The flock of Starlings had cleaned it out in just under 3 hours. It was like sweeping up little dollar bills. Most of the seed was uneaten including whole and cracked sunflower seeds and peanuts, but I couldn’t just dump it back in the feeder because it was wet, and mixed with rabbit and bird droppings. Into the garbage can went my little dollar bills and I’ve officially had it. I’m not refilling that feeder.

This will test my resolve. In the next 36 hours it’s going to be a wild ride for birds and humans alike. We’re supposed to climb to a balmy 43 degrees today with rain eventually changing to several inches of snow with up to 60 mph wind gusts tomorrow. Temperatures will continue to nosedive throughout the day reaching well below zero tomorrow night with wind chills to 30 degrees below zero. The chances of me not feeling guilty about the poor, wet, wind-tossed, frozen Chickadees and Nuthatches are zero. Who am I kidding? That feeder will probably be full of dollar bills again by tomorrow afternoon.

Just do me a favor and don’t tell the Starlings.