Starling Camera

Camera view is transmitted by  Teetormaja

Translation Liis

Estonian text posted 11.04.2018

News item from Linnuvaatleja, www.linnuvaatleja.ee

Translation Liis

On observing the activities of the starlings at the nest boxes it can be concluded from the sounds of chicks begging for food that despite the late and chilly spring many starlings already have hatched chicks.

Today, on May 14th, there were 1 to 3 days old chicks in 5 out of 6 inspected nests in Vana-Kuuste in Tartumaa. Only in one nest there were still eggs but there the starlings did begin the egg-laying about one week later than the others.

Text Margus Ots, www.linnuvaatleja.ee
Translation Liis

In the starling nest box with the web camera a case of nest parasitism took place a couple of days ago, when strange female starlings attempted to lay their eggs in the nest. The eggs laid by them were however thrown out by the pair that regarded the nest box as their own.

Text Margus Ots, www.linnuvaatleja.ee
Translation Liis

In the starling nest with the webcam soap opera-like events took place yesterday, April 26th. At 10.40 am a female bird arrived at the nest box, quickly laid an egg and left. About an hour later the male starling arrived and threw the egg out of the nest. About ten minutes later another female starling arrived unexpectedly and also laid an egg in the nest. At 12.20 the male arrived again and threw this egg too out.

See video clips of the events after the text.

Videos recorded and commented by Olle Koert, www.tt.ee
Translation Liis

Starling     Kuldnokk         Sturnus vulgaris

Video recorded by Shanta, LK forum
Translation Liis

The life of starlings before breeding is not simple; we can see parallels to it from a human point of view.

When the starling male had staked out his claim to the nestbox on March 23 (see the video at the end of this story) then it might be presumed that now a peaceful nestmaking and breeding would follow…

Far from it, for the third day already a serious competition between females is going on. Both the older but later arrived female as well as a younger lady try to show each other who is the mistress of the nestbox.

Whether we have a Mexican, Turkish or Estonian inspired soap – it is for the viewer to decide.

Transmission of camera images by Teetormaja

Published in Estonian 05.04.2017