European Starling

Along with the hybrid Mallards, there are usually Brewer's Blackbirds and European Starlings in the parking lot at Fernhill Wetlands. Most of the time they congregate down near the water and I typically take some pictures of them on my way back to my car as I approach the parking lot from the west side of Fernhill Lake.
European Starlings take a bad wrap as undesirable and they are intrusive birds that can make a mess and scare off other birds. But I find that they can have some very interesting and beautiful foliage. While they are more black with iridescent purples and greens during breeding season, they are especially interesting, in my opinion, during the non-breeding season as they are covered with creamy speckles and brown highlights such as the birds in the images above.