Flying Visit

Starlings and grandsons have a similar energy. Constantly shifting their attention; curious about anything going on around them; endlessly prodding, poking and testing; seemingly restless and driven; cheerful and indefatiguable. Having said that, while this early visitor did indeed catch some worms, grandson had put himself back to sleep for a lie-in, safe in the knowledge that there would be food on offer when he was ready for it

Starlings were added to the red list of endangered species about 10 years ago. Although it is still possible to see large murmurations in certain places, many of the starlings we see are seasonal migrants. The number of breeding pairs has declined by over 80% since I was a teenager, "placing this species firmly on the Red List", as the British Trust for Ornithology puts it