Thank you
I've seen hawks rarely in my yard (twice in 6 years). I'm sure they've been here more than that, but fair to say it's not often. So do hawks come after baby starlings, or the adults, or both? I wouldn't mind if they took a few of the neighbor's cats
I'll try the fatballs. I've noticed they do really like the suet I put out. So how do I make the fatballs? Just mix some bird seed with some lard? Is there some sort of ratio I should follow? Apples are easy too, I'll try a few of those.
Thank you again. I hope I don't come across too poorly. I'm just concerned they might crowd out the other birds that I enjoy more.
The Hawks take both young and adult birds. The youngsters, not being fully-feathered, are particularly vulnerable when wet, as they can't fly until dry enough. So a few are taken just after a bath; they are also more vulnerable to Cats at this time. I see many attacks, failed and successful, regularly.
I just mix as many seeds into the Lard as I can, too many seeds will stop the mixture from holding together. I don't melt the Lard first, just squeeze the seeds into it.
IME, putting separate food out for the Starlings doesn't give you a "bumper crop of Starlings to feed in the future". Nature has a way of balancing things (in my garden at least), and the numbers are kept stable by predation and illness etc.
To me, Birds are Birds, no matter how they got to my garden. Same applies to Mammals; I also feed the Grey Squirrels (non-native). If Ring-necked Parakeets (non-native) ever visit my garden, I'll feed those too. However, I do all that I can to ensure that all of the birds in my garden get food. It takes time, and often a bit of ingenuity, but I think it's worth the effort. However, if after trying everything, one species is taking all of the food you provide, I guess you have to stop feeding the birds.
Enjoy feeding the Birds, enjoy watching their behaviour, feel good about it. If you don't enjoy it, stop doing it|=)|