Starlings

Before Christmas 2023 there were some good gatherings of Starlings at Gosforth Nature Reserve and I was able to watch them when I was finishing my afternoon stint as a Volunteer Warden. Of course, it was getting quite dark...

The Starling seems like a very 'common' bird but their numbers have crashed by 87% since the 1960s.  There is an article here about this decline:

The decline of British starlings - BirdGuides

When you get a close up view they are a very beautiful bird.  I took this portrait shot at Seahouses several years ago...

The murmuration at GNR in November did not make many spectacular shapes but I was in the midst of the birds as they swooped down to roost in the reeds close to where I was standing.

There was a Sparrowhawk lurking, but as it was nearly pitch dark when I spotted him the picture is a bit murky.

Sparrowhawk

The murmuration in December was against a gorgeous sky with some interesting shapes. I especially liked the 'brain' and the 'heart'....

There is also a cormorant 'fly by' in the last of those pictures...

And the birds descend into the reeds

And, lastly, you may wish to view a video I made 9 years ago (yes...nine!) of a fantastic murmuration at Rigg near Gretna - all set to some stirring music by Handel. Here is the link...

Starling Murmuration at Rigg near Gretna (youtube.com)