[Sca-cooks] A Question

[chawkswrth at aol.com]

Sorry folks! I have been a Birder even longer then I have been an SCA member, by about 20 years (ouch-that almost hurts-I am getting Old) 
Starlings are an introduced Species in North America. They were unwittingly brought over by a person who wanted to have all of the birds Shakespeare mentioned in his writings. Said Person released them, thinking that they would stay close to a furnished food source and that the natural predators of the North America would control them.
Said Person did not know that our Birds of Prey found the new prey distasteful, and will only try to get one when they are close to starvation. Doves are so much better-and slower.  
 So, the next time a few thousand-strong flock flies overhead or overnights in your trees, doing what comes naturally, you can thank that person....

In Period, if I understand the stories correctly, boys were sent out to capture starlings and brought back to the cook for pies. they could also be tamed, hence the "four and twenty blackbirds" remark-trained birds in a baked crust that when they saw light, they began to sing. Now that would be a subtlety, for sure. 

Helen



-----Original Message-----
From: otsisto <otsisto at socket.net>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Wed, Dec 23, 2009 6:43 pm
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] A Question


I do believe that Starlings are not on the no kill list. :)
e
----Original Message-----
tarlings, I could see. They are huge flocks of birds in the Winter that can
lmost blacken the sky when they take wing. I can see the folks of the
iddle Ages turning them into pies, easily. It would a cheap source of
rotein during a season when such could become scarce.
and after watching a flock totally decimate my freshly filled suet
irdfeeders in less then an hour, and the mess on the cars, driveway and
ther open areas...oh, yeah. I could do this. Someone else would have to do
he deed, but I could scald and pluck with almost glee.
Or I will use boned and skinned chicken thighs.
Thanks!
Helen

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