Starlings v Sparrows

A few days ago I blogged on the subject of Starlings. I received a comment from thingsoftheday qv. The gist of the comment was that starlings and pigeons were welcome visitors in their garden. It gave me to ponder on the issue perhaps a little more rationally. Then I realised how futile that was. The truth is that there's nothing rational about it. I just don't like starlings en masse (individual ones can be amusing because they are intelligent birds and great mimics) whereas I am happy with sparrows en masse and that has happened in the garden on an occasion a few years ago when I counted 78 sparrows waiting for breakfast:

Glasgow's Miles Better

I think that one of the best slogans ever was Glasgow's Miles Better (Glasgow Smiles Better) used by Glasgow in its Mr Happy Campaign. I recall many years ago Jenni Murray or Sue MacGregor on Radio 4's Today programme commenting (in a perfect Edinburgh accent) on it when Edinburgh was trying to find one. She came up with "Edinburgh's Quite Nice". Sums it up rather well really. Anyway, as I was saying, Glasgow's miles better. I could go on about all the improvements over the 40 years I have been visiting the City but they are too numerous. Suffice to say the whole ambience of the City has changed. It is now a wonderful and vibrant place. I wish that Liverpool could have achieved a fraction of what Glasgow has achieved. One of the many things they do really well is eateries. Now sitting out with your coffee on the pavement in Glasgow is not, on the whole, going to happen in the way it does in Napier or any other place in New Zealand for that matter. However Glasgow does have its own version of al fresco eating and sitting:

Buchanan Galleries

Princes Square

Again

Sometimes I just sits

Tealight Holder

Pat and Dave gave me a tealight holder. I've been pondering. Is it primarily a thing of beauty given a use or is it a thing of use made out of something beautiful. Is it both? Does it matter? Anyway I like it and it's useful and it's beautiful. So..........

It's made from limestone (not sure which at the moment), is 15cm or 6" in diameter and the fossils are very evident.

Starlings

I commented to CJ the other day that the starlings had deserted the garden this year. I regarded that as a Good Thing. I've never quite worked out why, on the whole, we like sparrows and greenfinches but dislike starlings and pigeons. I suppose pigeons tend to eat all in their path and lots of it which is expensive when they empty a bird-feeder is a few hours. CJ pointed out that, on the whole, they just peck around the base of the feeder clearing up the seeds which would otherwise sprout amongst the chippings. Starlings, on the other hand, just eat and squabble and defecate all over the place. Anyway the point was that the starlings heard me and within the hour had descend en masse. Spooky. They have, however, not been back. Just making a point I suppose.