It’s Better on The Telly.
A beautiful winter’s afternoon and there’s me sitting on a deck chair in a field, waiting with camera in lap.
The sun is just setting and the sky, that rich red, tinged with pink and deep blue. OH, don’t you just love it….?
“What are you doing? “A young couple walking a dog enquired as they were passing.
I think that they must already have come to the conclusion that I was not sunbathing…not only from the dwindling sun on the horizon, dipping temperature and that I had the full complement of clothes on …topped off with thick fleece and woolly hat. The deck chair must appeared quite strange…but then the old legs are not as good as they were and why stand when you can sit?
“Waiting for the starlings to roost “I replied.
Flicking through the shots on my camera to illustrate the delights of the aerial display that I had captured the afternoon before.
“Oh ……Seen this on the telly but didn’t know it happened here!”
“Hang on here just a few minutes and just watch.” I replied.
Sadly they never waited and walked on… as I picked up my camera as the first of the flock began to dance across the sky.
They never looked back, as the hundreds of birds flitted and weaved across that lovely sky…….
Better than telly?
No question!
The correct name for this spectacle is a murmuration and if you would like to find out more, the Society of Biology and the University Of Gloucester are currently are conducting a survey. Apparently starlings are in decline.
Go to…. societyofbiology.org/starling survey.
Safe Journeys.
Gyps.
I’ve seen your “murmurations” (incidentally, never knew there was a name for it, lol and neither does spell check because it’s still telling me it’s wrong) many times.
Always find it amazing that that number of birds in such a small area doesn’t result in massive collisions.
Hi Way….
My spell check didn’t recognise it either and had to keep checking that I had written it correctly.
Spelling not one of my best subjects.
Gyps
must be a beautiful sight, I would come and sit with you and watch anytime if I wasn’t so far away
I googled starlings and murmurations and it was right there with same spelling. Thank you for sharing nature which isn’t better on TV.
My lips are sealed, Laurie.
So are mine! 🙂
Amazing phenomenon, beautiful photo. But please don’t tell my budgies as it may give them ideas.
Talk about not stopping to smell the roses!!
If that couple goes through life like that they’re going to miss a great deal.