Starling Trail
Tor View Dawn – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8689
Another day at Ham Wall starting with a beautiful sunrise.
The Morning
A beautiful clear winter morning from the Tor View hide in RSPB Ham Wall. The starlings have roosted in the reed bed over night are are starting to gather in front of the hide.
Starlings at Dawn – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8707
More and more birds join from around Waltons Heath as they get extremely restless.
Starlings at Dawn – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8722
Suddenly, the birds burst into the sky.
Starlings at Dawn – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8735
Wave after wave leave from the same location.
Starlings at Dawn – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8762
They fill the sky. In the background birds stream out from the neighbouring Loxtons Marsh.
Starlings at Dawn – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8824
The Loxtons birds fly low passed the Glastonbury Tor.
Starlings at Dawn – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8843
Some of the birds flew low over the hide then immediately dropped into the western side of the heath. Several minutes later they also leave the reeds.
Soon it is all quite and the water birds have the reserve to themselves for another day.
Early morning at Waltons Heath – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8875
The Evening
The day had gradually clouded over. Despite this hundreds of visitors arrived lining the main track several deep. In comparison, this morning I shared the hide with one other person!
Starling Watching – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8900
Many of the birds arrived from behind the first viewing platform.
Starling Watching – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8916
In the dull weather this was as exciting as my pictures got. The birds drifted in low and dropped into the Waltons Heath. As the birds flew across the reserve they avoided flying over the footpath to the reserve.
Starlings Murmuration – Waltons Heath, Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 827_8966
