Starling Trail

Swans – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID JB_1391

I have not been able to visit RSPB Ham Wall in the evenings recently so instead I have tried to make the most of the mornings.  The weather has not been very great, with a lot of dark grey skies.  So with the forecast looking more promising I got up early and headed out into the cold.

The roost is split at the moment, so I picked the smaller of the roosts on the west side of Waltons Heath as I felt this offered the best views across the open water and with Glastonbury Tor in the background.

Unfortunately, a bank of cloud was spoiling the silhouette of the Tor so I moved across to the neighbouring viewing screen that looks towards the Tor View hide.

The flock lifted out of the reeds in one huge wave of birds.  It was only when I got and looked at my pictures I noticed the marsh harrier.  This may have triggered the birds?

Starlings at Dawn – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID JB_1266

The birds exploded across the sky.

Starlings at Dawn – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID JB_1269

Soon there were so many starlings I could not open my lens wide enough to get them all in!

Starlings at Dawn – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID JB_1298

Soon afterwards the heath went silent – apart from the coots.

And finally…

At the nearby village of Stileway a group of starlings stopped to catch their breath and plan their day.  The field was covered in mist and the sun was just appearing above the horizon.

Starlings at Dawn – Stileway, Somerset, UK. ID JB_1537