Starling Trail
It was a dull evening as I arrived at the RSPB Ham Wall car park on the Somerset Levels. I had watched the starlings leave their roost this morning and hoped they would return to Waltons Heath tonight.
This year the birds have been roosting in the Waltons Heath and Loxtons Marsh rather than moving around the other Avalon Marshes. So this year I have a theory that if the sky is dull then the Tor View hide is the best place from which to watch, but if the sky is bright then the viewing platform is best. In bright skies the birds are more likely to float around making patterns in the sky. To see these patterns you need to stand back and look through the flock. In the hide you are in the middle of the action, but from this low angle you are rarely see any shapes – just the noise of a million birds pouring into the reeds like rain.
The RSPB did a fantastic job when building the Tor View hide. Its easy to access and puts you in the middle of the flock morning and again in the evening. I like the build-up of excitement waiting for the birds to arrive. Chatting with the other visitors in the hide they all have great stories to tell from their life in the navy to the long journey to get here this evening. They were all interesting people each with a shared interest in the watching starlings.
Deep Blue Sky
The grey clouds rolled back revealing a beautiful deep blue sky. It was like a theatre opening its curtains ready for the show.
Dramatic Sky – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 809_3444
The show started with small groups of starlings appearing in the blue sky. Circling around then disappearing only to return again. The groups got bigger and bigger – reassuring that we were waiting in the best spot.
The first to arrive – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 3451
Soon starlings were pouring out of the sky into the reeds.
Starlings arrive at Ham Wall – Somerset, UK. ID 809_3463
Starlings arrive at Ham Wall – Somerset, UK. ID 809_3463
The evening got darker but the birds just kept coming.
Starlings arrive at Ham Wall – Somerset, UK. ID 809_3616
Coming in huge numbers.
Starlings arrive at Ham Wall – Somerset, UK. ID 809_3587
After the big flocks had dropped into their roost. Smaller low flying group flew in. Just a few feet above the roof on the hide they became streaks in the sky.
Starlings arrive at Ham Wall – Somerset, UK. ID 809_3732
Large numbers of birds started to fly to the east side of Waltons Heath. To do this they flew back over the hide in the dark sky. Thousands and thousands of them in a continuous low flying stream. People walked down from the main drove towards the hide to look up and enjoy the sight and noise of the birds overhead.
Flying over Tor View hide – Ham Wall, Somerset, UK. ID 809_3840
And Finally
A note about my photographs today. I made a mistake and accidentally used too slow a shutter speed. I only noticed on the way home. Luckily this small number of pictures still came out ok.
