ABSTRACT
We have a family of starlings who decided to live under the balcony outside the lounge. This week-end the first of the young ones left the nest; it was very interesting to see what happened. The young starling went on the rose bed. Then the mother bird came with some food. But instead of giving it to him she held it in her beak and made the baby chase her on to the lawn. Then she jumped into the air and fluttered her wings as if to say, “Look! This is how you do it!” He then took off after her and flew, low down, to the yew hedge. I suppose she gave him the food then as a prize, but we did not see that. And so it went on. He had to work hard for each bit. It was like little Tommy Tucker but this time he had to fly not sing, and it was for his breakfast, not his supper.
