What makes one creature more vulgar than the next? Some species, such as sturnus vulgaris, aka European starlings, do a good job of living up to the vulgaris part of their Latin name. They’ve been an invasive species here in North America since 1890 when 100 of them were released in New York City’s Central Park. And what could be more vulgar than guests who’ve overstayed their welcome…
Good grief! You’d think she’d use a bigger mesh. What does she think we are? Chickadees?
… than noisy, complaining, ungrateful ones that can’t seem to get enough of the little you have to offer.
How can I possibly stick to my diet if she keeps serving up suet??
Although vulgarity is often equated with the manners of the masses, it’s certainly not an uncommon trait among the elite, or at least those who think they are…
Of course we’re being watched. Paparazzi follow me everywhere. I’m a chick magnet.
There is nothing new under the sun, and with time, all things grow old.
Is it just me, or is dining on a swinging fat ball not as glamorous as it used to be?
Every moment of every day we have the opportunity to change the quality of our days by changing our outlook. Regardless of which flock we fly with, a spirit of thankfulness and reverence is available to us all and a perfect remedy to our ‘common’ and ‘vulgar’ attitudes.
Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach, originally misattributed to John Milton
Text and photographs copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2013
O Mr. John Milton. Sigh.
Onto fun things like the vulgar birds…LOL. Great captions to go with your images. Thanks for the morning cheer!
Glad you were cheered by it all Eva :)
Actually I like starlings. They remind me of groups of rowdy teenagers trying to cause a scene, but not yet mean enough to make much impact.
I especially like them (the birds not the teenagers) when they fly in large numbers in formation. A little vulgarity from time to time adds some spice to life don’t you think?
Lynne, I was thinking recently that seeing large flocks of birds in flight is becoming less common with each passing decade. I suppose we should be thrilled to see any type of bird flying in our skies.
Yes, a bit of vulgarity and rowdiness does add some spice to life. The difficulty is always at keeping it in just the right amount ;)
90% of the birds at my feeder are starlings. And their numbers are increasing. I’d rather be seeing native birds …
Sybil, I can’t remember the type of feed you offer at your feeder, but I guess they’re the type of bird that will eat anything and everything that’s made available. They’re supposed to also be threatening to blue jays, which can be aggressive birds themselves, and that’s a shame.
Lovely quote and fantastic photos! I, too, wish the starlings would stop taking over…
Blessings ~ Wendy
Hi Wendy, I’ve heard neighbors complain about them in the past but this is the first time I’ve seen so many of them so regularly in my yard. They’re certainly considered pests by many.
…and they bring a bazillion of their friends with them when they visit.
Pattisj, they’re like party crashers!
Do you recall these starlings this far north in midwinter before? Even here in central PA, they are around eating a lot of old fruit (crab apples, etc) on trees that in other years, wasn’t consumed ’till late in the winter by cedar waxwings, or the first robins. I don’t have any memory of seeing starlings around in winter, whether recently or decades past (in my lifetime), but I was wondering if others corroborate or not.
I love the quote!
Catharus, now that you mention it, I believe this is the first I’ve seen of them here in midwinter. However, it’s been so cold this past week that I’ll bet many of them regret staying. Of course, if all they’re eating is food that’s usually consumed by other birds later in the season, they’re not the ones that will be suffering.
Exactly! That’s my concern….looks like on more possible trend in global warming.
My grandmother on Cape Cod used to complain about the starlings who were bothering the other birds at her bird-feeders. It is interesting to see how they look close-up – good pictures and amusing captions! :)
Their predicament reminds me of the documentary “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.” And Connecticut has its own invasive species, wild tropical parakeets. They build huge nests near the top of utility poles to keep themselves warm and somehow manage to survive through our cold winters.
Barbara, the starlings are so aggressive here too. Chickadees don’t stand a chance at the feeders until after they’ve gone.
I’ve seen that documentary about the wild parrots. Invasive species present such a whole new complex set of problems. One man’s novelty is another man’s nightmare.
Whenever I hear about people wanting to “introduce” some foreign species to control some insect of something, I think about how often this fails and ends up creating new and worse problems. I wonder why anyone would ever consider doing it anymore. Off the top of my head, the only introduced species that I like having around is the ring necked pheasant – beautiful birds that don’t seem to harm anything.
MDW
I agree Mark. It’s impossible to control outcomes when you start moving living creatures around the globe from one habitat to another.
Jaywalking ring-necked pheasants slow down traffic in Cow Bay, which is a good thing, as it keeps the red-necked humans from driving too fast ;)
Great photos of one of my favorite birds–in their native range, that is to say!
By the way, that quote is not from Milton.
Rick, I wonder if starlings are better behaved at home or abroad ;)
To whom do you ascribe the quotation? It’s attributed to Milton several places online. I also saw it attributed in one place to Sarah Ban Breathnach, but did not consider that source as trustworthy.
Don’t know whether they’re “better behaved,” but I’ve long been struck by how much less urban the birds are in their native European range than here in North America. Over much of Europe, the starling is a farmland creature.
As to the quote, it is the product of some minor new-agey writer. It is not present anywhere in the published writings of Milton, and doesn’t sound at all like him in any case. If a second-hand quotation is necessary (and it never should be) and one doesn’t have access to the opera omnia, it’s always good to check it at wikiquote, which in this case says simply “misattributed” and cites it from the works of one Sarah Ban Breathnach.
Rick, that is interesting about starlings being less urban in their European range. I am in a semi-rural area but also see them in town here.
I did not check wikiquote. Good grief! And here I was trying to NOT use new agey quotes!! Thanks for the clarification :)
Oh but the vulgar starlings are some of my favorites! We rarely see them at the feeders around here–wonder why?–but when they fly in their great formations overhead the sky becomes filled with beating wings and my heart beats so loudly that my soul jumps up and flies with the starlings as One… It feels like the most magic of Magic Moments and…now…sniff…please don’t say you’ve called us vulgar. ;)
Kathy, Kathy, it absolutely does not surprise me that you and the starlings are kindred spirits.
A friend told me she saw a large flock in flight turn at too great an angle one day while she was driving in a mall parking lot. She and her husband watched in horror from inside their car as one bird after another crashed into the pavement. It seemed like they were all following a leader whose navigation was skewed. It took some time for the entire flock to clue in and right itself. Can you imagine? I often wonder when I see a large flock of these birds all take off at once, if they’re each making the decision to leave or the entire flock is following a leader who’s just given the sign to move on.
Oh no, that is a horror story! It’s very odd. I don’t like the thoughts of humans traveling in flocks, though. Yet, I suppose that’s what we often do as cultures and societies. Simply vulgar…lol…
Kathy, this video of a cloud of starlings flying in Israel is a recent one I came across on CNN:
http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/01/31/nr-cloud-of-starlings.cnn.html
It’s pretty amazing.