"Flying shit" - bagged!

Thursday - just watching the 'Look East' weather, when I noticed something flutter down onto the grass verge outside the window from the corner of my eye. A quick 'shufti' and I see Starlings. Remembering that I had a 40 foot Jap and some bits of bread on the back lawn (which I had diligently cut this lunchtime), I got up to go outside, first grabbing a handful of bags.

In - well most were - the net were about 15 Starlings. As Jap nets are not the best for holding these birds (unless they're carpalled, ugh) some managed to flap about and eventually get out. In the end I had eleven (see 1st pic)

Eleven in the bag(s)!

As I only have a few 'C' rings in the house (for the occasional Blackbird), I had to go out and fish the string out of my ringing box, which was in the boot of the car. The birds ranged from 119 mm wing length to 132 mm. Weights varied from 67 grams for the smallest (2nd pic) to 82.5 g for the biggest.

3J Starling in the early stages of 'full moult'

Two of the birds, both with a wing of 128 and a weight of 80 g, were coming to the end of their 'complete moult' (see 4th pic) and had full tails - unlike many of the 'intermediates', which were replacing primaries, secondaries and tail feathers all at once (see 3rd pic).

An 'intermediate; note "short" tail which is being replaced.

A '3E'. Note the few juvvy feathers on the crown and
the all black bill, diagnostic of 1CY birds.