We caught the end of the starlings display at Slimbridge Reserve at dusk in
February this year.
Just as we arrived in the carpark on a visit to catch the floodlight swan feed,
the sky above us was filled with the raucous screeching and twittering
juxtaposed with thrapping of wingbrbeats, a stunning sound. They swooped &
circled around the carpark, nearby trees and watchtower then vanished from view
behind the buildings never to return. Most enigmatic!
I witnessed a much smaller event in June last year with a small flock of 6/8
adults and 23 juvy' birds at close range, 5-10 feet outside a hide on the edge
of North Pond Skomer Island. They swirled past the hide screaming and whirring
then dropped swiftly one after the other into the reeds faster than I could get
the camera on them. They immediately fell silent, my hastily started MD
recorder catching only gentle breeze and the LBB gulls preening on the pond.
Despite returning the next few nights with MD primed for action they did not
return to the same section of reedbed preferring to roost at other sites on the
island.
Despite their 'bad press' elsewhere I like their cheeky bossy behaviour and
grand range of calls, whistles and song.
I have even heard them sounding rather the 80's UK Trimphone!
cheers
BigRog
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