The Upcoming 30 Day Challenge of April

As you probably know, there will be 30 days of blogging in April.  Let's all have low expectations about quality.  We're shooting for quantity here.  Here's a preview of what you can expect over the next 30 days.  

Starling's New Home

by 

Lee Heffernan

We have an owl box in our front yard.  Our friend Jeff made it and placed it in a tree for us.  It was a birthday gift.  I love that owl box and hope for an owl to appear.  Unfortunately, some starlings have moved in.  Starlings are known as the worst bird on the planet, but here's a little known fact about starlings.  (You actually might already know this fact, but read and review anyway if you feel like it.)

Starlings didn't want to come to the United States.  Eugene Schieffelin brought them to New York City in 1890, against their will.  He wanted to introduce all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays to Central Park, which is weird by anyone's standards.  He tried to introduce other birds to the park as well.  Some made it, some didn't.  The starling is now considered an invasive species and everyone hates them. There are millions of them here now, and they're taking over the nests of native birds.

Geez Louise.  Let's not blame the starlings for Eugene's idiocy.  On the good side, starlings eat a lot of insects and they are talented nest builders.  To be honest, there's part of me that  still hopes for an owl to arrive who will kill and/or kick out the starlings, and then take up residence in our owl box, but if that doesn't happen, the starlings can stay as long as they like.