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What’s it Like Raising a Baby Starling?
The joys and tribulations of adopting a little lost bird
It started with being handed a baby starling that had fallen out of its nest. The tiny bird sat in a bowl, lined with toilet paper and moss. I decided to call it Jodie, after the actress Jodie Foster.
Soon Agent Starling was demanding food every few minutes and crapping neatly outside its makeshift nest. Within a very short period, it grew out of its downy fluff into a set of proper feathers. It then took to fluttering about the bathroom.
I took it to work with me, where I spend my time outdoors. It would fly about the trees, regularly coming down to be fed. We soon became an odd sight in my local village, with Jodie flying around me.
My most joyful memories are having it swoop down from a tall tree or building at high speed to land with perfection on my finger. I’d often throw her casually up into the air so I could speak to someone without its loud chatter in my ear. It…
