I was standing on the side porch of the Post Office when I looked up and saw a wall of birds flying my way. 'Quick!' I yelled to Elektra inside. 'Grab the camera!' Those guys can fly 48 mph. Fortunately for me, they decided to settle in the walnut tree overhead.

I felt privileged. Hoggetts had a visitation some weeks ago and were equally thrilled. Starlings are considered pests by farmers. I consider the local deer a bigger threat. (I have no idea what the apples on my tree taste like. Ask the deer.)

How do we happen to have European starlings, you ask? As well you might. It's all Shakespeare's fault. He mentioned them.

In the 1890s, Shakespeare-loving nitwits in New York City released 100 starlings into Central Park as part of their Shakespeare-bird-appreciation efforts. According to Cornell Labs there are now 200 MILLION starlings in North America, from Alaska to Mexico. Muchas gracias, say the fruit growers. I appreciate the fact that they are mimics and know a lot of different bird calls. I'm a fan of multilingualism.

I hope you enjoy the sight of these starlings in a tree. Click here for the video, or watch the embedded version in your Pliny-skin page.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

08.01.24 Front Page

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