humm my starlings don't touch my plants at all. They go after the worms, grubs and every other kind of bug crawling around. They haven't touched any of my young cabbage plants.

Yes Bathgate, that is what they normally do here but for some strange reason they have turned on my plants. They have even attacked the actual flowers. They don't seem to be eating them just pecking off all new shoots.

hi have you thought about a decoy bird of prey they work just perch on a stake or some thing similar round about where you need it.worth a try.good luck.

They're not infested with aphids or something, are they? Starlings, like other birds, at this time of year are looking for protein rich foods, so maybe they're trying to get at aphids. Otherwise, got any christmas tinsel you don't want any more, or old CD/DVD discs - you can spread the tinsel about, maybe they won't like it, and take it away when they stop, and hang the cds up... Starlings will deliberately take lavender, sometimes other aromatic plant leaves, they use it for lining their nests. Can't think of any other reasons why they'd be so destructive.

Thanks every one. I must say i'm at a loss as to why they are behaving like this. Bamboo, I do have 2 nests in neighbour's roofs near by, so maybe as you say they are using the tips to line their nests. I constructed a " heath Robinson" type hoop with net yesterday over my baskets and touch wood, it does seem to have worked. The only down side to this, is that they turned on my evergreen clematis this morning, nipping off the growing shoots!! It would take a considerable net to protect that. I will try some other suggestions that have been mentioned. As far as I can tell the plants are free from aphids.

Tedious - probably something to do with fierce parenting instincts, what with nests so close by - when the birds have fledged, the problem will disappear. Not much comfort right now though, is it...

You could try hanging out some bird feeders maybe they'll leave your plants alone if they are finding some tasty treats fat balls etc they love kitchen scraps and you could make your own fat balls with suet and bird seed