Friday 31 January 2014

Starling Murmuration



Three or four years ago, Tom wrote a blog  on Starling Murmuration and posted this video.


A similar phenomena has happened at Westbury, Shropshire, this winter.  Westbury is a small village four or five miles away from where I live.There is, as far as I know, no near nature conservation area to encourage them, but something must have attracted their attention.  The starlings gather on the edge of dusk, thousands of them. The formations they make are beautiful and the bird song is amazing.

21 comments:

  1. This is absolutely amazing. Mother Nature is breathtaking isn't it??

    ReplyDelete
  2. You wonder how they avoid bumping into each other.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, I remember - and I miss them over Bath. I haven't seen them for years here. Lovely clip. Shame that modern cameras have auto-focus, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that video you posted and then to actually see them here was really something.

      Delete
  4. This is so incredible. We have this in the fall; for some reason I always thought they were swallows. Too high to make out anything but the ribbons.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know why they chose our little neighbouring village. the formations are fantastic.

      Delete
  5. Back in Brighton this is a daily event over the old, rotting, remains of the West Pier. It never failed to amaze me!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amazing. Hope your weather improves soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another storm with gales today - an indoors day definitely.

      Delete
  7. Amazing sight, but I wouldn't want to be standing under them, looking up, with my mouth open in awe. Nature happens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are a few murmurings from the village folks who have had their cars resprayed from them. One of my friends lashed out and bought a plastic car cover off the internet - fed up with having to wash your car every day.

      Delete
  8. Do you know if they are roosting there regularly? Is there any point in driving over?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In the late evening, by the vicarage you can hear a lot of twittering going on in the bushes, so I would think there's a good chance.

      Delete
  9. An amazing sight to see Molly........

    Claire :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Must take a drive over and see them - it never ceases to amaze me - the last time we saw something similar was up at Aberystwyth last year - thousands of them roost under the pier and fly in those amazing formations over the sea and swoop under the pier - perhaps the bad weather up at Aber has sent them inland xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't think we have this phenomenon happening in Australia, I've never seen it except on the internet or TV.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is truly extraordinary, Molly. I've heard about it but never seen videos which show it so clearly. Lucky you to have it happening so close to home. :-)

    ReplyDelete