Starling Nest

We have a large cherry tree next to our driveway that loses at least one large limb every year.  Cherries were planted when the community was established, and have gradually died out and been replaced, or sadly, eliminated.  I worry that a  branch will fall on my car one day,  but in the mean time, it manages to bloom every year and carpets the lawn with pink petals.

A few days ago I noticed a European Starling sitting in the tree, near a cavity in a limb.  I wondered if it could possibly be considering the hole as a nesting place.  I had no idea about their nesting habits, but sure enough, they almost always choose a cavity, which can even be a streetlight.  Today I walked out of the house with my camera and was delighted to find the starling next to the cavity, with a feather in his mouth.  I didn't realize until later that there was another starling coming out of the hole, also with a feather.  I didn't do a good job of capturing both birds - the second was in a shadow.  Anyway, I looked it up, and sure enough they use feathers, among many other items,  to "feather" the nest.  Also, the females are known to remove items that the male had added.  I'm so excited that I will have a bird family to watch this spring.