Beside the Canada goose, the European starling is the only other bird that makes me think the word “pest”. Not from my own experience, however, but from what I remember hearing as a kid. That said, over the years I have come to know them as a slight nuisance, if only for the fact that they do seem to appear in rather large flocks. Their high numbers can create a lot of noise and the mess they leave behind can be hard to overlook.

Their black feathers have a very interesting iridescence that sort of reminds me of a gasoline puddle. A loud, flying gasoline puddle. The first time I photographed them was in late November when their winter plumage was on full display. During that the winter months their feather tips are bright white; sharp contrast to their darker plumage. This gives them a speckled appearance that is very hard to miss.