Every year, as the last grape clusters are snipped from the vines and the vineyard rests in quiet anticipation of winter, a spectacle unfolds—an aerial drama featuring starlings, mockingbirds, and the dogwood trees that stand sentinel along our vineyard fence line.
Suddenly, like a gust of wind, the starlings arrive—dozens, sometimes a couple hundred, of them. They swoop in unison over the vineyard, and their synchronized flight makes palpable the energy rushing through the air. With a whoosh, they dive toward the dogwoods, filling the branches with a flurry of fluttering wings and chirps. The starlings dart to and fro, their beady eyes searching the dogwood trees for berries hidden among the leaves. One by one, they pluck the tiny fruits, chattering noisily as they feast. The tree visibly quivers.
Their feast is short-lived, though. The mockingbirds, who deigned to let us live here on their property many years ago, take issue. One or two are waiting perched in or near the dogwoods like hidden guards, beneath the branches. Whoosh! These tiny but mighty warriors swoop out, dive-bombing the intruding starlings with precision and relentless vigor. Their loud, indignant chirps chase the starlings out of the trees.
It's a comical scene: mockingbirds flapping their wings with all their might, scolding the starlings, while the starlings, startled but not defeated, take to the sky. The Starlings don't give up easily. They regroup, circle around, and land in the next dogwood tree, where they start their nibbling and pecking anew.
Meanwhile, down in the vineyard, some of the starlings land in the rows of vines. Here, they peck at the ground, helping to tidy the vineyard in their own way. The mockingbirds, content that their dogwood domain is defended, seem to ignore this part of the performance, leaving the starlings to their feast of insects and seeds. This continues during the day, for a few days, and then abruptly ends.
Every year, after the last grape has been harvested, the vineyard plays host to this spectacle, and we know life is still in full, joyful swing. This year we asked ourselves one question: how can we teach the Starlings to eat Spotted Lantern Flies?
Cheers!
Clyde & Terry Housel
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