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STARLINGS AND MURMURATION [v18.02, 10 additions]
The theme of this gallery is starlings and especially a phenomenon known as murmuration. This massing together (many thousands) of starlings can be seen on autumn/winter evenings shortly before dusk prior to them settling on a night time roost. Something similar occurs when they leave very early the following morning although there are fewer ‘aerobatic’ movements.
The Common Starling is a native resident in the British Isles and parts of Europe (with numbers increased by substantial winter visitors). It has also been introduced in parts of North America and Australasia and to a lesser scale in Southern Africa and South America.
The file name of the starling photos is shown here with: [s] summer plumage; [w] winter plumage; and [j1w] juvenile, first winter. As may be seen, individual birds are often attractive in their own right but murmuration can be nothing short of amazing. Of the murmurations featured, the photos named murmur 1 and 2 were taken early morning (November 18) on Shapwick Heath looking over to Meare Heath. Those named murmur 3 were taken around sunset (November 30) at Ham Wall RSPB, viewing platform 2. Incidentally, well over 100 adults and children (I didn’t count) viewed from Ham Wall and parked cars seemed to stretch half way back to Ashcott (I exaggerate a little).
As with other galleries, I hope to add further photos (please see below) and particularly images of murmuration. Based on excellent images seen elsewhere, I trust there is plenty of room for improvement. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see much in 2017/18.
New additions v14.12: Murmur 4, Ham Wall RSPB, 29 December 2014
New additions v18.02: Murmur 5 (01-10), Ham Wall RSPB, 29 December 2016