tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post1251678907391535167..comments2024-03-17T23:39:47.479-06:00Comments on Montana Wildlife Gardener: Northern flickers and European starlingsDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389771525430735743noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-55406755595289791702013-04-26T11:47:37.887-06:002013-04-26T11:47:37.887-06:00Hello Everyone,
I would loe to invite you to my Fa...Hello Everyone,<br />I would loe to invite you to my Facebook Northern Flicker Awareness Group .... I created this group in hopes that we can be heard and gather information about the ongoing battle these amazing creatures have to go through with the Starlings for their nestin sites! Please join us and let us be heard :-)<br />https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/515612818475653/<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-34105658076797663082010-07-17T06:06:51.614-06:002010-07-17T06:06:51.614-06:00Dear David,
Greetings from New Zealand. And intere...Dear David,<br />Greetings from New Zealand. And interesting commentary on starlings. When I arrived in NZ in 1970's starlings were actively fostered by pastoral farmers to control grass grub (a native moth, Porina). That fostering has fallen away, perhaps compaction of the soil is the problem for the grub. In the north, Indian Mynas (Acridotheres tristis)are displacing starlings and causing more ecological problems. In my Dunedin garden they are competiors for nectar and fruit as well as being unwelcome lodgers in the house. Death is the only stopper to a nesting starling, they are so detemined. I have found a dummy nest box trap is very effective because although there are they are in large social flocks, the flock notices the distress of the trapped starling and abandon the property. Catching a few a year is all that is necessary. Not sure how you would avoid trapping other hole nesters like your flickers. Maybe rely on the greater boldness of the starling leading it to a trap site closer to the house. A live trap, so any non-targets can be released.<br /><br />I was surprised that you make no mention of rats. Feeders, compost heaps and pet food cause rats (Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus) to flourish in the NZ urban setting. Do squirrels hunt rats? Or is your environment vole habitat?Graemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-35777795036098232642009-09-05T13:38:33.923-06:002009-09-05T13:38:33.923-06:00Interesting information, we live in suburban Puget...Interesting information, we live in suburban Pugetropolis and we'd like to encourage our local Northern Flickers.Mikeynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-5676824851865150732009-03-09T22:57:00.000-06:002009-03-09T22:57:00.000-06:00It's very cool to see others "gardening where they...It's very cool to see others "gardening where they are" - I think I'd be so sad if I had to leave California, but then I realize I'd just start gardening in the place I ended up. It's all good, as they say. <BR/><BR/>I remember going to see the Christmas lights in Glasgow as a child, and the tremendous omnidirectional twittering of millions of starlings clustered all along the wires, keeping warm. We have some here in the Bay Area too and yet they are not so common, in my experience - I always do a double take when I see one.Country Mousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13294472166693008328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-43247657539835168422009-03-09T22:10:00.000-06:002009-03-09T22:10:00.000-06:00Hi Heather,Glad you liked to post and great news t...Hi Heather,<BR/>Glad you liked to post and great news that your husband is on board. Let me know if you or he need any more tips dealing with starlings or squirrels.<BR/>Good luck with your new tomato cages, I've abandoned various cages in favor of some wooden frames (like sunflower cages). They are visible in a couple of pictures, one in the post "how to create space in a small yard".<BR/>Thanks again for the comments.<BR/>DavidDavidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02389771525430735743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-22751350312142890112009-03-09T22:03:00.000-06:002009-03-09T22:03:00.000-06:00Cassidy,Thanks for your comments- I hope you find ...Cassidy,<BR/>Thanks for your comments- I hope you find my blog useful. This May I will be teaching a class at the Montana Natural History Center on garden design and landscaping with native plants. I'll post the details when I have them, but if you are interested, conatct the MNHC to sign up and for more information.<BR/>Thanks again,<BR/>DavidDavidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02389771525430735743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-62191641659369706382009-03-09T21:13:00.000-06:002009-03-09T21:13:00.000-06:00I am excited to have found your blog. I am also a ...I am excited to have found your blog. I am also a Missoulian and I was searching google for a landscape blog to help me understand designing outdoor spaces with native plants. <BR/>I hope that by reading through your blog posts I'll figure out the hardest part...where to start.<BR/>Thanks for the inspiration and information,<BR/>CassidyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086285745310021732.post-33998273511122779202009-03-09T20:35:00.000-06:002009-03-09T20:35:00.000-06:00Ok, so I convinced my husband to leave the Flicker...Ok, so I convinced my husband to leave the Flickers alone and only use "squirell control" on the starlings. He seems good with this. A major step forward for a born and bred Idahoan. (who met and married a Californian... huge adjustment for him. He's learning:)<BR/>Thanks for the good info, I have always enjoyed the flicker, now I fell like I know quite a bit more about them.<BR/>-HeatherHeatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10737367324901967724noreply@blogger.com