Murmurations start up again

Our neighbours, RSPB Leighton Moss have said that "after an absence of several weeks, around 30-40,000 starlings displayed over the main reserve reedbeds yesterday afternoon before settling down to roost. Hopefully, this is the start of what will become a regular pattern and we should see daily murmurations for the next month or so!"

RSPB describe starling murmurations as basically a mass aerial stunt - thousands of birds all swooping and diving in unison. It's completely breathtaking to witness.

They think that starlings do it for many reasons. Grouping together offers safety in numbers – predators such as peregrine falcons find it hard to target one bird in the middle of a hypnotising flock of thousands.

They also gather to keep warm at night and to exchange information, such as good feeding areas.

They gather over their roosting site, and perform their wheeling stunts before they roost for the night.

If you are playing at Silverdale Golf Club you may be lucky enough to witness a murmuration on the course if you are playing in the late afternoon or maybe when you are driving home.