The Starling and the Berries

The European starling is ubiquitous in North America, but that was not always the case. The starling was introduced into Central Park in the 1890s. According to Scientific American, the story goes that the American Acclimation Society wanted to introduce into America every bird mentioned in Shakespeare. For reference, in Henry IV, Part 1, Hotspur says:

Nay, I will. That’s flat!
He said he would not ransom Mortimer,
Forbad my tongue to speak of Mortimer.
But I will find him when he lies asleep,
And in his ear I’ll holla 'Mortimer!'
Nay, 
I’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak
Nothing but 'Mortimer,' and give it him
To keep his anger still in motion.

The society, in the person of Eugene Schieffelin, released some 60 starlings (or starling pairs — Internet sources seem to disagree on the number) into Central Park in 1890 and '91, and by 1950 the starlings could be found from the Atlantic to the Pacific, all across the continent. So now Mr. Schieffelin is blamed for introducing Sturnus vulgaris into North America and therefore loosing what many now consider a nuisance bird across the country, 200 million strong. 

When I first heard that starlings were an introduced species, I was told a tale that the birds had been brought over to be part of a theater production, and after the show closed, the birds were released in the park. I liked that story better, but now have to accept that most sources hold Mr. Schieffelin responsible.

So when many people think of starlings, they think of pest birds. But as I hope you'll see in this video, starlings are very often beautiful. They have personality, and watching the flocks fly can be so exciting.

Perhaps seeing this one starling, as I did on August 2 at Turtle Pond in Central Park, next to the berries the bird proceeded to chow down, will help you appreciate the beauty of this common bird.

A Starling Among the Berries is set to music by Chopin.

I will note, though, two things I have observed about starlings: First, they really love to take baths, so much so that I opened my video Bird Bath with them. The joy they have in flapping in the water is contagious. Second, the young starlings, after they've fledged and are full sized and should be feeding themselves, follow their parents around and squawk at them for food, much like American teenagers do when they're quite capable of opening the refrigerator themselves!

A Great Egret at Turtle Pond

August 2 was a nice day for bird-watching at Turtle Pond. We had a juvenile black-crowned night heron dipping into the water, a sub-adult black-crowned hiding out in the leaves, a starling eating berries, barn swallows flying over the water, mama mallards and their kids, and a beautiful great egret.

Turtle Pond, August 2, 2016.

So in a break from my recent rants about the Yankees and my gushing over the Tompkins Square red-tailed hawks, I bring you a little video showing off the great egret on one lovely early August evening.

I'll post the young black-crowned night herons soon, from Turtle Pond and the Pond at 59th Street. And the starling should provide a nice video. There's a ducklings video in the works, but for now, here are some photos of the egret. 

Memo to Yankees: Get Rid of Cashman!

Those of you who have followed my dissatisfaction with this year's player acquisitions and deacquisitions by the New York Yankees, and those of you who have suffered through some pretty insufferable games at the stadium in the Bronx these past few months, might appreciate YANKS TRADE STAR PLAYERS, KEEP DUD G.M., by Murray Chass, a former New York Times sportswriter. On this I think he is spot-on. If the Yankees have any hope of getting my complete devotion back, they really must get rid of Brian Cashman. Dud G.M., indeed!

Yankee Stadium, June 11, 2016.

I keep hearing how the Yankees traded Andrew Miller for prospects that will build the team in the future. As I've noted before, there are still about two months more of baseball left this year (for the Yankees, that is), and I haven't been enjoying the games recently. I have posted my remaining tickets for sale. So far, no bites (I'm not taking a loss, so won't discount below what I paid for them). So I do resent the abandonment of the current licensees for some unknowable "future" team. And if Cashman behaves as he has in the past, he will trade many of these great "prospects" in the off-season for more has-been players. My prediction, agree or not as you believe.

My sales rep says that I will be letting him down if I don't renew my season tickets. Ah, well, never knew it was my duty to keep my rep happy, but if so, so long, farewell, and goodbye. I imagine I will be buying single tickets here and there next year, at a discount whenever possible.

By the way, I actually enjoyed the Mets-Yankees game last night. I figured I'd mention that, since I've been whining so much recently. I don't expect I'll enjoy that many more games, but since I haven't been able to sell my tickets so far, I imagine I'll be hanging out in the Bronx more days than not. I'll be there tonight, for the last Mets-Yankees game of the season.

I intend to cheer for Andrew Miller if he comes in to pitch for Cleveland this weekend. The two photos below are from the game on July 22, when he pitched against San Francisco as a Yankee (I saw him in the stadium the last time as a Yankee on July 23, but didn't take photos).

A rainbow over Yankee Stadium on June 11.

I have enjoyed several double rainbows at Yankee Stadium over the years. Unfortunately, they don't occur all that often, and rarely predict that the Yankees have a pot of gold at the end of the rainbows. And I do understand that in order to see the rainbows, you often have to survive the storms. I hope the current storm passes quickly. I'd like more rainbows.