In the winter Starlings appear in large numbers from the near continent to seek the warmth on our island, murmurations can start an hour or so before sunset when huge groups of starlings twist, turn, swoop and swirl across the sky in beautiful shape-shifting clouds. They roost overnight in the nearby reed marshes next to the coast at Marazion, but they come to feed in their thousands in the fields around my home.
(Please click on image to enlarge)
These are a few of the images I managed to capture on 16th December over the farmyard next door. They are still here in their thousands and the other day when out in the garden, I heard a loud noise above me, only to find myself in the centre of a murmuration. Of course when they are this close you don’t see the spectacular murmurations that you might see as they come in to roost, but I am still in awe of the flight of these birds as they fly together and change direction as one.
Cornwall in Colours 
The best I ever saw was in Brighton, as they settled on the old burnt-out pier. Swirling above for ages, they looked like an incoming tornado.
I haven’t seen anything similar in Norfolk since we lived here.
Best wishes, Pete. x
Fantastic photos 😀 😀
An amazing sight Jude. Reminds me of the huge cloud of budgerigars we saw in the outback doing this. I didn’t know the name “murmurations” then, but it is so descriptive.
It would be fabulous to see this happening.
Wow! So many of them.
I think I may have made the same comment in previous years, but I taught a graphic design student who used video of these flights in his art. Great fun.
This is such a mesmerizing phenomenon, Jude. Nice captures!