Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Jo your so funny!! Secret... sometimes I come to watch your bird masterpieces when I'm upset...they help me very much. Thank you soooo much
What?! I didn't answer this wonderful compliment?! Well, so what if I'm a year late, I just read what you wrote and wanted to say thank you. It lifts my spirits to know that these movies can lift yours, Lesa.
@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME it's okay... yes they do even so much more lately. I had to move to subsidized housing. The area is loud with cars and I've lost my flower gardens, no peacefulness no tranquility except in my quite apartment. Outside it is noisy and no longer do I hear the peace, harmony and songs of the animals in the wilderness. I feel like a caged bird now. It's awful.
@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I'm just so happy that your still here amongst your admirers and among those who are equally fond of your passion and your mutual bird love I hope your husband is well. . Love you Jo 💕😁😘
@@lesabooth5243 Thank you for wishing me and my husband well, Lesa. Without him, I don't know if I'd have the will to do much. But thank goodness he's hale and hearty. I'm eighty and he's nearly that, but we both eat very healthy diets and exercise plenty--each of us determined to stay healthy for the sake of the other.
@@lesabooth5243 My husband and I have both said for years that if we had to move from this house to a typical sterile suburban environment with a small yard, we would cry. We don't live in what people think of as a "good zip code"--Ferguson, MO--but we have two acres, more than half of it wooded. I'm sorry to hear you have to live among sirens and car fumes. It sounds depressing. Are there any nearby green spaces? Is there any place where you could put out bird seed or suet at your apartment?
Starlings are an example of the impact of invasives. They have only been introduces for over a hundred years or so and woodpeckers (not naturally aggressive) haven't had time to evolve defense mechanisms. I squirt Starlings with the garden hose when they try to steal my woodpeckers' hole!
You're 100% right. The red-bellied woodpeckers have managed a decent amount of success despite the starlings. Unfortunately the same can't be said for their less aggressive cousins. Red Headed woodpecker populations have taken a huge hit in the last 70 years. It's really unfortunate.
I love red bellied WoodPeckers! They come round my feeder all of the time! I love the red/orange crest on their head and the beautiful black and white patterns on their back and sides!! Great video too Jo! Thank you!
This morning I had two red-bellied woodpeckers sharing my front yard birdbath with a starling. They were all getting along wonderfully and seemed to be having a great time. I don't know if things would have been different if more starlings had shown up, because the starlings tend to crowd the birdbath and might not have been as welcoming to the woodpeckers.
I think you probably nailed it about the number of starlings in the birdbath. They get along fine with the other birds as long as there are only one or two of them.
Great job narrating and capturing video. The starlings just wouldn't give up!! I liked a lot of the video like for instance the woodpeckers dealing with the starlings but I absolutely loved the part with the Red-Bellied woodpecker doing its call what a wonderful sound. Reminds of being far into the woods somewhere.
Thanks, Lesley. I enjoyed capturing the footage for this movie. I got a kick out of pretending to be a thuggish Starling. But I most of all enjoyed getting the closeups of the Red-bellied. Every time I see him scattering wood chips, I smile.
I know, it's pretty fun capturing videos when there is a lot of excitement going on. I can relate to how the Red bellied would make you smile every time he'd gather woodchips; last spring I got to watch both Blue and Sweet girl collecting twigs, and other material for their nest. Still, after almost a year I think about it and it makes me smile. Wildlife can be humbling.
LesleytheBirdNerd I hear ya about the smile that some memories of birds brings. I never get even so much as a good look at Blue Jays, so I envy you that. My only regret about this film, Lesley, is that all the conflict took place on a cloudy day. I dared not focus close in for fear of missing the aerial battles; and consequently, you can barely even tell the Red-bellied from the Starlings. If this conflict happens again next year, I'm afraid I will have to insist that the hostile takeover occur on a sunny day.
Thank you for watching and commenting, Naturelover. I enjoy writing and narrating my films. (I'm a retired English teacher and a former political blogger, so writing is a skill I've honed.)
I want you to know, Nancy, that I smiled when I read your comment. I pressure myself to turn out good content every time I post, partly because I like producing good content and partly because you and people like you appreciate it. Thanks.
One more thing: if you'd like to do some binge watching, the Popular Uploads row is a good place to start (with the exception of Black-crowned Night Heron, which is one of my first videos and one that makes me wince now 🥴).
@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Thanks Jo. I came across your channel when I was looking up some videos for the Eastern Towhee. I only saw my first one today. I think Covid has created a lot more rookie birdwatchers like me as we are stuck working from home. I still haven't convinced the nuthatches and chickadees to land on my had to feed yet, but they are definitely getting more friendly. I'll definitely dive into your channel. Do you have any with red squirrels in them? We had a real skallywag in our yard for a while. I don't know where he went.
@@nancyharris4913 I do have a few short squirrel movies but none about red squirrels. Tell me, how are you going about luring the nuthatches and chickadees closer. We successfully got a Gray Catbird to eat from our hands last summer. I'll bet your technique resembles our strategy.
Starlings were brought here by Shakespearean Thespians in 1906. It seems native woodpeckers would have figured their bills are more powerful and they should be able to easily defeat starlings after over 100 years of dealing with them.
Although I knew the history of how starlings came to this country, Wayne, I didn't mention it in the movie. As for how starlings win these battles, they rely on sheer numbers. The Red-bellies are strong and bossy! I've watched what happens when they arrive at a spot where we've laid out dried mealworms. Whatever birds are there scatter! Smart move! But 6 to 1 is tough odds.
This is such a nicely shot video. Have been doing bird vids last 3 years using a cheap go prone clone placed close to where birds land (feeding stations & baths) and more recently a higher end clone mounted to a spotting scope. It is not a smooth operation but did get some shots of Red-Headed woopeckers feeding their young last year from afar. I've had a male Red Belly all winter and is still here. Hoping he stakes a territory.Starlings have not prevented my Red Head from nesting last 3 yrs. but drove my flickers off.
Like you, I do a lot of what I call "surveillance" filming: putting a camera where action is likely to occur. This hobby teaches you to be creative about sneakiness! I envy you that Red-headed. I've gotten one twenty-second clip of him in the seven years I've been doing this. I checked out a couple of your films of them--pretty footage. I especially liked seeing the wood chips fly in the hole.
Loved your narration, Jo. It was thoughtful of you to paint things from the starlings point of view as well (though I do root for our Robert Redford wannabe). Very well done!
Yes, keefry, I did present the Starlings' point of view, but you might notice that I made them sound ignorant and thuggish. So the defense was really a put up job. I mean, who's going to root for the Starlings? Not that they could possibly care less what we think.
The RBW in our garden took back its nest from invading Starlings, not sure how but they did it. I do know from observation that RBW are very very aggressive birds.
Oh yeah! I know how aggressive they are. One on one the Red-bellied Woodpecker will usually win. It’s just that the Starlings have those numbers in their favor.
@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I get that but ultimately to take over the nest it comes down to a one to one battle, it takes one hell of a brave or stupid starling to go into a confined space with a similar sized creature, one that regularly uses it's head like a jackhammer with a switchblade beak at the end. I'm glad our RBW is back in it's home, so nice to hear it's familiar call!
To translate whole thing into human world woodpeckers are ordinary working middle class and the starlings are the Banks now whole scene looks so clear!
No I don’t like the Red-Bellied because he’s “Hollywood Handsome”, I root for him because he’s native. I hate starlings because they don’t belong here and compete with native species.
I don't get too bent out of shape about them. I'd rather they went back to Europe and stayed there, but the bird population faces far worse danger than Starlings could ever pose--from loss of habitat, pesticides, you name it. Even the Starlings are here because A European brought them.
The starling is on the red list of endangered species now here in the Netherlands. As for ‘native’: how ironic Starlings don’t ‘belong’, as nobody asked the indigenous people to invade America and took their homes and land as starlings are doing now.
Thank you, Johannes and Philipp, for watching, commenting and subscribing. The action in this film is a month old. Three days ago, I filmed a Red-bellied on that same tree pecking out two new holes and then I filmed the pair of them mating. But he hasn't been back to those holes in the meantime. It makes me wonder how many holes they start but never finish. Still, they are surely going to nest somewhere close.
I predict our long time native Red Headed Woodpecker (RHWP) and the Red Bellied Woodpecker will become extinct because of the non-native, highly invasive European Starling which was improperly introduced to the United States in the late 1800's. I documented this for 10 years (almost daily from my house) in NW Tennessee near Reel Foot Lake between 2006 and 2016. I feel it is incumbent on me to set the record straight. I have 71 years experience with this including 30 years with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Am now retired and still fighting to protect our Migratory Birds. In the video it appears to me the Starlings won. It was the last bird I saw on the Video and was flying towards the Woodpecker's cavity.
Daniel, I don't claim the expertise you have about these woodpeckers. I said in the narrative that Red-bellied Woodpecker numbers were increasing because I had read that. Perhaps what I read was not true. And, of course, you're right that the Starlings won that bout, as they so often do. One thing I know for sure is that I'd like to get my hands on the men who brought Starlings and House Sparrows here from Europe.
I believe that despite the starlings admirable persistence and intelligence, these birds are invasive and as the property owner you should be a little more responsible with deterring these invasive species. Ive raised both starlings and red bellied woodpeckers at the local nature center. Ive gotten to know both species. This is my opinion and i only hope you would agree
The only action I can imagine would be to shoot the Starlings--which I'm not going to do. I'm open, if you have other options. I certainly agree that the Starlings are invasive--and I might consider shooting the man who brought them across the Atlantic, if he weren't already dead. Despite the Starlings, though, we have lots of Red-bellies.
Killing the starlings is useless. I agree they shouldn't be introduced to new areas, if these areas have weaker native cavity nesters, who don't found in native range of stralings (Introduction should be allowed only to remote islands, which have no native cavity nesters or to islands, which have no native land birds at all). Same with sparrows.
I've never heard of such a thing, but I'd be leery of using one. I've known people who trap squirrels. For decades. You take a few away and a few more move in. I'll bet Starlings would fall into that category. I'm filming a Red-breasted pretty much from the start of his digging. It'll be interesting to see whether he faces a challenge from the Starlings. I don't get too bent out of shape about them. I'd rather they went back to Europe and stayed there, but the bird population faces far worse danger than Starlings could ever pose--from loss of habitat, pesticides, you name it. Even the Starlings are here because A European brought them.
Exactly. My mom had been trying for purple martins for almost 40 years. I gave her house a fresh coating of paint, moved it to a different spot in her yard and the martins finally came. Suddenly, house sparrows decided they wanted to move into the house and the martins battled them for it with my help. Drove them off and the martins successfully nested in the martin house. Pissed me off, too. Those house sparrows had never once shown interest in that house until the purple martins arrived. I'm even angrier because their neighborhood is right behind Lowe's and that place is damn invasive species factory. Starlings and house sparrows all over the place. They have stray cats and they have no effect on their numbers.
I take no responsibility for the Starlings either, Martin, though I'm an American and it was a blankety-blank-blank American who imported them from Europe in the late nineteenth century.
Wonderful video! It broke my heart to watch starlings invade my neighboring red-bellied woodpeckers' nest just last week. I did consider grabbing a BB gun but, as I wrestled with my conscience, the starlings won the day.
I root for the hard working and diligent wood pecker, no contest. We have a farm and the starlings literally invade the every nook and cranny they can get into searching for food, especially in the winter. Despite the netting covering the chicken and peafowl enclosures they get inside and devour everything in sight. They come in huge numbers and I mean huge, like a big dark, ominous cloud. After every invasion by these nasty birds we have to wash our vehicles and everything else that has been covered by their copious and putrid manure. Honestly I have never seen anything like it from any other animal. Starlings are a nasty disease & parasite carrying invasive species that I wish had never been brought into the USA.
I wish the same, Jeanna. But I would like to take it out on the fool who brought them here. In their native environs, they had natural predators and weren't the nuisance we find them to be.
@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Take it out on the New York Shakespearean Thespians who brought them here because they wanted every bird here that Shakespeare mentioned in his plays and sonnets. I don't even like Shakespeare because of these fools that had done this.
I see you got a lot of flack for this video. I just wanted to say my husband and I really appreciated it. Your humor is awesome and we love your channel.
It's a treat to hear from someone who "forgives" me for not shooting the Starlings--not to mention your praise for my humor and my channel. Thanks for writing.
Plenty of people feel that way, and I get it. They were brought here from Europe and do not have enough natural predators in this environment. They're a royal pain in the arse.
Steve, there's a part of me that wants to kill them (the Starlings) but then there's the other part that would probably feel awful after having done so. I've never hunted so perhaps that's my bias. I wish the part of me that wants to kill the Starlings would win out because I hate seeing our native species being bullied around by these wretched pests. My air gun sits idle as I try and decide which part of me is going to prevail: Starling hunter or bird lover.
My husband and I are as frustrated with Starlings eating the bird food as everybody else is, but I try to remember that flocking birds will use the flock for whatever advantages it yields. Animals of every kind, including humans, use whatever means they have to survive. Bluejays are bullies too. And they eat the eggs of other birds, given a chance. Do we forgive them because they're so beautiful? They don't eat up as much bird food as the Starlings do, so we're not hostile toward them. But I share many of your feelings about the Starlings. I resent the way they swarm over Bark Butter like ants on candy.
i wonder if there would be such a anger and outrage if the starling was the native bird,,ugly and annoying and the red bellied was the invasive species beautiful and nice...would there be this fuss,,,,we all know the answer...NO.
It means that a lot of people hate Starlings as much as you do. If you look at the comments below, you'll see that most people rail against those damn Starlings.
You won't shoot the Starlings but I get people who do including English Sparrows, they are a menace to US birds. Starlings have been blamed for the decline of some Woodpeckers and English Sparrows are a menace to Bluebirds, Martins and others.
Good video account and narration. I just posted a similar video entitled "Red-bellied Woodpecker vs Starling Nest Battle" which you might enjoy. This battle took place just 18 feet from our upstairs bathroom window so I had an excellent "built-in" bird blind.
You're right, Samuel, about the advantages of your built in blind. The male Red-bellied came out of that fight clearly looking bedraggled. You did a nice job of editing the shots and narrating. Few amateur wildlife videographers do either of those things, and you have a feel for timing: you tell the story clearly but succinctly. My movie was shot in March. In April, a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers (maybe the same ones) dug another hole in the same tree and stood off the only would-be invader for several days. But eventually, the Starling got that nesting hole too. I have a movie showing a Flicker trying to drive Starlings out of a nest that they took from a Red-bellied pair, and I got that action close up, in case you're interested. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1cHoOHhNOhA.html
Jo Alwood Thanks, Jo, for your comments. I did take a look a the Flicker action you captured. Very nicely done and good narration. Keep up the good work.
