Starlings and Mallards

Some of the photos I took at Belfair last week reminded me why I’m so fond of photography — pictures remind me how beautiful even the most common things are.

Starlings are an invasive species here in America, and are often killed in the thousands in attempts to keep them from displacing native species. So, it’s far to easy to forget what a beautiful bird they are in breeding plumage.

Starling in Breeding Colors

If I’d realized this was a Starling when I pointed my camera at it, I probably wouldn’t have taken its picture at all.

About the only thing Mallards and Starlings have in common is that they are so common. So common we hardly notice them,

Mallard Drake

which is really a shame because when in breeding colors the yellow beak and shimmering green head are startling beautiful.

3 thoughts on “Starlings and Mallards”

  1. The darling starling. You manage to put it in a far better light than I’d ever imagine. The vile squeaking of a curse of starlings in the neighbor’s fig trees still causes me to shudder as if from fingernails down the blackboard. kjm

  2. Yes I agree Loren. Itis sad that starlings have such a bad image as they are really very beautiful birds close up as your photograph shows us. Same goes for mallards too.
    When we were in Texas last year we were enthralled by the grackles, although everyone thought they were dreadful birds.

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