Date: 2013 June 3
In 2012, I found that young starlings in the garden easily become hand-tame if encouraged with food, so I've tempted one or more in the years since.
This page features the starlings in 2013.
See the main page for notes and photos for other years.
Latest news (2013 September 2nd) further down the page.
There were lots of young starlings in the garden during the summer, even though (as far as I know) there were no actual nests in the garden, despite me providing 3 boxes for them. They must have plenty of other nearby nesting places.
Date: 2013 June 3
Three young starlings in their juvenile plumage, instinctively squabbling between themselves,
even though the food seems to have run out...
Date: 2012 June 3
Perhaps this one is going to be more bold, and approach me...
Date: 2013 June 4
I can't guarantee that it's the same one as yesterday, but this starling (probably female,
with light-grey iris?) has become tame. I called her "Astrid" (thinking it was another 'star-related' name like
last year's "Stella" - turns out that it isn't).
2013-September-2 I "made friends" with several more young starlings in 2013, and it soon got that I couldn't distinguish them. They weren't as young on first appearance as "Stella" in 2012, and never got into the habit of following me round the garden. Eventually all disappeared, and I didn't see them again (or else they ceased being tame).
2013-June-3 The first young starlings are becoming independent of their parents, and beginning to approach me (it's the adult birds which have become accustomed to take fright, and the youngsters follow their example).