The starling features on few birders list of favourite birds and in the US it is regarded as a pest. Of course a few of us will remark on the colours and irridesence when the sun catches a posing bird but that's about it.
But the humble Starling can give one of the most amazing spectacles when it flocks. I'm sure many of us will have seen footage of millions of birds coming into roost and marveled at the patterns that get formed.
Such displays are currently taking place just North West of Gretna, drivers are told to pull off the road to watch the displays.
According to a police spokesman "People may be distracted from the road because of the birds but the road is a dangerous environment.
If they want to watch the birds they should pull off onto a side road or into a lay-by, because it is an offence to stop on the hard shoulder if it's not an emergency."
You can see some impressive pictures here and here.
The spectacles will end soon when over wintering birds return to Russia.
3 comments:
What a sight that must be.
Wow, Pete. I've seen flocks of starlings before but not something so amazing as those photos! That's incredible! They always travel together but the most I've seen might be a few hundred. Those are thousands!
Mary - I think there was a big roost a few years ago that was estimated by somerset wildlife trust as 7 million
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