Starlings

Sturnus vulgaris

The starlings have been very quiet lately. They are still about, on their usual perches in the mornings and later, but without the chortling and gossip. This morning I saw the pair that regard the lawn under my kitchen window as their home patch. It was obvious why they have been subdued. They have moulted and they are growing their winter plumage.

The male, at the top, is well on the way with his fine new suit, but the female, in the middle, doesn't even have her new tail feathers yet. In the lower picture you can see that the male's wing feathers are not quite fully grown.

I took these photos through the window so they lack good definition, but I think they are interesting. And I'm trying to remember- do they normally moult this early in the season, or have they been prompted by our non-summer?