Sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Sunday morning I was making myself coffee, when I noticed a starling couple on the lawn outside my kitchen window. Both birds were pecking away at the ground, looking for edibles. Suddenly, the female hurried over to the male, they "kissed" (touched beaks), then the male mounted the female - for one second. (Had I blinked, you wouldn't be reading this.) Then the male moved about 4 feet away and the female followed him, keeping that distance between them. Even in a tree, they keep that distance:

This may be the same couple of birds, spotted this afternoon. Here are some close-ups of the male (more uniformly black with some a gorgeous iridescent "ruff") and the browner, far more speckled female.

Comments

SolSionnach said…
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Anonymous said…
I love birdies :)!z
Victoria said…
I love seeing all the birds. There are so many that hangout in our backyard now, its fun to watch them. Although I'm not really a "bird watcher".
Keera Ann Fox said…
Nicole, I do, too. Right now, it sounds like I live in the tropics. There is so much singing going on early (and I do mean early) in the morning.

Victoria, I read some place that the Chinese kill all the birds within a city to keep it clean. I am so happy to be living someplace where these little feathered expressions of life can be seen all the time.
Sparkling Red said…
I'm so happy that it's spring and there are birds and squirrels hanging out in the tree outside my window. We have morning doves, who always hang out in pairs like bff's.

Do you have squirrels?
Keera Ann Fox said…
Spark, I did see a squirrel here once and just the once. Norwegian squirrels are very squirrely and tend to avoid people.

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