star light star bright

[Starling]

How nice it was for this European Starling/Common Starling to sit and pose in the sun for me. This was in the parking lot of a recreation center and that's why the background is so dark. That was the shadow under a parked car. From a distance these birds look black, but I think it's pretty as a peacock with its golden speckles and iridescent hues.

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The trick to get this close was (as I have done before) that I did not get out of the car. Instead, I rolled the window down and pulled up to the left curb. That is permissible when you're driving in England or in a parking lot. ;-) Don't worry; it was not busy with traffic, so no one was inconvenienced by position.

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If you look carefully, you will notice that the golden speckles are heart shaped. I apologize, but I tried and tried and could not find the other shapes. You know... diamonds, clubs and spades.

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I am told (thanks Maalie) that the light blue coloration at the base of the beak indicates that this one is male. And the female has pink in the same area. How neat!