Starling Trail

Ham Wall - Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56530

Ham Wall – Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56530

December begins with an astonishingly beautiful sunset at RSPB Ham Wall on the Somerset Levels.  The starling murmurations were pretty good too!

In the evening light the first starlings to arrive do a fly-by across the nature reserve in front of Glastonbury Tor.

Ham Wall - Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR55984

Ham Wall – Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR55984

Soon streams of starlings are flying over the woods and into the distance.

Starlings - Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR564031

Starlings – Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR564031

This is the time in the evening when you are not sure what will happen.  Have the birds roosted on the far side of the reserve?  It is hard to tell, all you can do is stand and hope they return.

And they did!

Starlings - Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56261

Starlings – Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56261

One or two hundred thousand starlings came closer and closer.

Starlings - Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56426

Starlings – Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56426

Dropping down in to the reeds as the colour of the sky deepened.

Starlings - Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56489

Starlings – Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56489

Sunset

I ran back to the main path to photograph the sunset that was getting more red by the minute.

Starlings - Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56549

Starlings – Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56549

Luckily, I managed to capture the last few starlings heading onto the reserve.

Starlings - Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56597

Starlings – Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56597

And finally…

This was the largest group to arrive when the colours were at their deepest. An amazing evening.

Starlings - Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56689

Starlings – Ham Wall, Somerset Levels, UK. ID BR56689

 

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