The starling murmuration has returned to my local nature reserve this autumn and I have been to watch four times in the last three weeks. Each time I tried to pick a bright evening without much wind but, even then, their behaviour is a bit different from last year and the whole show is a bit less well coordinated this time. The early arrivals do well and put on a good show.
The next groups are even larger and they all blend into one.
When they fly closer to or over the hide they fill the sky.
The starlings go down into the reed beds after displaying when only half of them have arrived. They seem to pour out of the sky.
All the later arrivals then go straight down with further display.
The experts' assessment is that there are probably about 20,000 birds, a little fewer than last year and with less extravagant shapes. If they waited until they had all arrived before diving into the reed bed the show would be completely spectacular but even so it is well worth watching. They are harassed every time by a pair of sparrowhawks, as they were last year, so this may have modified their behaviour.
Last year the numbers built up over several weeks but then they moved on - probably because their weight had done so much damage to the reeds that there was no longer room for them all to roost. I expect the same will happen this year and they will move on to somewhere else soon.
I just love these. Long may the starlings murmur.
ReplyDeleteThe word murmuration does come from the sound Emily but it is more of a whoosh than a murmur as they fly around. There is a lot of excited chattering once they are down in the reed beds and an even louder whoosh when they all leave together at first light.
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