In common with many once familiar native birds, starlings have suffered a steep population decline over the past fifteen years.

Probably a major factor is lack of suitable nesting spaces, a similiar problem experienced by house sparrows as eaves of houses are stopped up for insulation purposes. At one time starlings were ever present in my garden but not for some years until now that is.

Recently I installed a suet ball feeder in addition to sunflower seed dispensers and starlings love them.

Just three regulars constantly peck off chunks with their dagger-like beaks and this has added benefit for robins, blackbirds, woodpigeons and dunnocks all of which forage beneath the feeder picking up fallen pieces. Directly starlings arrive so the others fly in.

At first glance, starlings may appear to be rather drab, blackish-brown birds but look closely and we note that their plumage is quite stunning, even in winter, being a delightful glossy blue-green-purple shot with numerous golden speckles.

During harsh winter weather our starlings are joined by many more from the Continent so this year's very cold spell has probably encouraged greater numbers than usual to fly in.

One of the best places to watch them at first hand is by the round pond in Kensington Gardens. Being very tame, they wait for scraps of bread and spend much time bathing in noisy groups at the pond edge where their beauty can really be appreciated.

If we are fortunate enough to see millions of them engaging in an airborne 'murmuration' then that is one of the most spectacular sights in the natural world.