Starling | BPW #42

Last year, on our way to Olifants Rest Camp in Kruger National Park, we stopped on the bridge just before Letaba to stretch our legs a bit. You are allowed out between the two yellow lines marked on the tar.

This starling was sitting there chatting away to itself, not minding us getting close at all. So I took a couple of photos. I must have shifted to motion mode on my Panasonic FZ30 by accident, because I ended up with 2 short videos on my memory card. You can hear the starling chatting away here. Sorry about the big truck changing gears …

… trying to give me the ‘evil eye’

Cape Glossy Starling

… showing off his best side ..

Posing for the Camera

Check

for more cool bird pix around the world

gwendolen

Yep, it does make online life a lot easier, hey? :-)
Wren

Great video, gwen - isn't it interesting when you find a nice surprise in your camera? LOL at the "evil eye" - perfect caption.

BTW, I like signing in as my twitter persona. Saves another login/password and still links me to the rest of my online personality.
gwendolen

Hi Dale, apart from the European Starling, that we see here too of course :-), I've seen Burchell's; Greater Blue-eared; Red-winged and Violet-backed in KNP. I've got a photo of a Burchell's sitting on the braai grid: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginz/232629179
Dale

well, you are allowed to get out on the bridges because the lions hardly ever eat people on the other side of the lines ;-)

When I saw the first picture, I thought I recognized the setting. I thought it was one of the bridges somewhere around Olifants! The sound of the glossy starlings is definitely what Kruger rest camps and picnic sites sound like to me.

Did you see any of the other glossy starlings that are in the area: Greater/Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Burchell's Starling, Long-tailed Starling?

Thanks for following my blog. I added your to my blogroll, so I will be back.
Marvin

Great photos. The starling seems to have enjoyed posing for you.
MaineBirder

Beautiful video and photos Gwendolen!

Much different looking than the European Starlings we have here.
Tabib

Beautiful pictures.
This starling colour look like our Asian Glossy Starling, except for the eyes. Asian Glossy eyes are red.
gwendolen

Thanks Yen. I love the frogmouth!
Yen

Gwen,

the Frogmouth (1 photograph) is posted, I hope you like it.
http://wai-yien.blogspot.com/2009/06/javan-frogmouth.html
soaringfalcon1

Cool video of the Starlings Gwen! I love the video showing the iridescent blue.
Kelly

Cool! Loved the video and listening to his song. Your Starlings are considerably different than ours. Love the coloring and eyes. The photo of him giving you the evil eye made me laugh!
Yen

this Starling like like a Asian House Crow except it is much better looking with a preety dark bluish plumage
April

That was a happy accident! Beautiful video and pictures of the starling. He sure is glossy.
Mick

Nice photos and video too. Really nice to hear the bird chatter. The sheen on the feathers in the video is beautiful.
bob k

Lovely shots, Gwen. I enjoyed watching the "accidental" video. The starling's colors really shine on that one.
Kyle

Great photos, Gwendolen! Definitely a different breed than the European Starlings, which are the only starlings we have over here in the states. The video really shows off the iridescence of his feathers, doesn't it? Beautiful!

gwenz wildlife weblog

blogs I read

cool sites

travel

follow me

Starling | BPW #42