Murmuration - again.

Talking to Kanyl last night it became clear he hadn't yet seen a really good murmuration.   Clearly a good murmuration can't be guaranteed but it seemed logical to make a visit to the Southwaite murmuration during our usual Thursday afternoon together.

The weather was lovely, clear sky and sun.  We arrived at about the time things "kicked off" on Monday.  Not a Starling insight.  After a few minutes we spotted one!  Flying away!  Was this an omen?

Fortunately not within 15 - 20 minutes groups of birds started to gather.  Slowly numbers built as small groups arrived and joined the cloud.  We were enjoying a chat with a man from Wetheral who was one of the 6 cars which had gathered.  Suddenly the sky was filled with birds.  I estimated that at one point the cloud stretched at least a mile.  Then they began to twist and turn.  Unlike Monday all the birds seemed to be in the air at once.  Dead on 6:00 they dropped suddenly into the trees and it was all over.

Look carefully just above the left hand cloud and the slightly larger black blob is a Sparrowhawk.

The extra is the same Daffodil as I blipped yesterday having opened in just less than 24 hours.