Cabbage Palm in full flower
Dear Readers, today I was wrestling with my different theories of speciation (yes, it’s Year Five of my Open University Biology/Environmental Science degree) when I saw a small flock of starlings nibbling the seeds from the cabbage palm next door. What a surprise! They were getting well stuck in, and I suspect that half the seeds were gone in a matter of minutes. I am always amazed at how animals are able to recognise different kinds of foodstuffs, even if they’ve never seen them before – it’s not as if a London starling would have a wide familiarity with a plant from New Zealand.
The starlings were way too quick for me to hobble downstairs to collect my camera (which is inevitably on the wrong floor), but I wondered if any of you had seen anything similar? Birds are often endlessly adaptable, so it would be good to know if your local birds had found unusual food sources.
Sparrows eating aphids from the buddleia
In other news, I am slowly getting back to where I was before my second fall, though it’s tricky walking about when both legs are sore. On the other hand, I managed to get all the way to Holborn yesterday, to meet a friend at the Royal Opera House, and after some fortifying coffee I made it all the way to Leicester Square for the tube home. Admittedly, I had to sit on the sofa with my legs raised for the rest of the day, but it feels like progress. And I have an incentive – we’re hoping to head to Ravenna for a few days in a few weeks, for my long-suffering husband’s much belated birthday celebration. Sadly northern Italy has been hit by horrendous floods, so we’re waiting to see how things turn out.
I had a word with my GP about this falling-over thing, and she is going to send me off for a nerve conduction test – there seems to be some neuropathy in both feet (nothing to do with diabetes in this case, though this is the most common cause). In the meantime I’m doing my physiotherapy and pilates, and have bought myself some barefoot shoes just to try – they are meant to help with neuropathy, balance and various other things, so we’ll see how we go. I think I’ll look like MInnie Mouse, but elegance is the last of my worries at this point. Has anyone else tried anything similar? Do tell!
Minnie Mouse?
Let us know how the shoes work 🙂
Your observation of the starlings next door reminded me of starlings roosting in the palm trees in Bermuda and Spain. Such a noise at twilight! Fascinating how an ‘exotic’ plant is benefiting our local wildlife.
Yes, do let us know how the shoes go. Good footwear becomes increasingly of interest to us third-angers!
I have seen a wood pigeon in my neighbour’s cabbage palm, also harlequin ladybirds which you wrote about a few days ago flying about whenever it is sunny and warm.
As for the shoes, they look very practical and falling over is never elegant. I wear trainers most of the time now, funerals being one of my few exceptions. At a recent burial in a very uneven country churchyard I did wonder if even this was wise.
I think you can wear what you like on your feet these days, lots of girls wear big boots with their dresses! Smart shoes can play havoc with your feet.
My Australian cousin was staying and she mentioned barefoot shoes, which I had never heard of. Her neuropathy in her feet came on with the menopause, I had never heard of that either. My sister was also over from Australia and I didn’t realise she has neuropathy in her feet from way way back when she had chemotherapy.
We have lots of those palms in our road, but no starlings come our way. They prefer seaside cafes and one of them divebombed my bratwurst!
Well I was feeding starlings chips by the sea the other day. but that’s probably not so unusual 🙂 Stay steady and safe!