Startling Starlings

A hardy group of around 40 people of all ages, set off from Clifton Cathedral for the Somerset Levels. They were off to watch the wonder of the winter starling roost.

Cathedral parishioner and inspiration behind Sound of Many Waters, Mary Colwell, picks up the story.

We were very lucky with the weather, for days before and since we have had high winds and rain, a sure dampener on starling behaviour, but on the Saturday evening the storms held off just long enough to allow us to watch the thousands upon thousands of birds gather together to spend the night in a huge roost in the reeds.

Sadly the drizzle stopped them displaying but the sheer numbers and beauty of the flocks was very impressive. Small flocks appear at first, then more and more came out of nowhere. They bunch together and search for the right spot and then swirl down into the reeds, almost as though someone is pouring them down to the ground through an invisible funnel. The wind noise and chatter is very loud as they jostle for position - no one wants to be at the bottom of the reeds with others perched higher up - for obvious reasons!

Great flocks of birds flew low over our heads and settled into the reeds ahead of us - slowly turning part of the reed bed black. Set against a leaden winter sky, the birds provided an evocative evening in a beautiful and wild place.