Coming home to roost

Murmuration of starlings, Leighton Moss, Lancashire

This was the first time for a few weeks that we have been able to visit Leighton Moss when the starlings were coming to roost. Initially we parked along the Warton road where we had had excellent views last time, but today the cloud of birds was too distant. We thought the show was over and headed back towards Arnside, only to see them in the air again directly over the Causeway that bissects the reedbeds. There were fewer birds this time, but an extraordinary experience never the less to have them wheeling and pulsing directly over our heads, the sound alone of the wings of so many birds is awe inspiring.

When this was taken, some had already dropped into the reedbeds, while this large remaining flock was coalescing prior to spiralling down as seen in the slight apostrophe shape. Shortly after this a peregrine made a dash through the flock, scattering birds in all directions, I have a photograph of that, but it was impossible to tell if the sortie was successful. Earlier on I photographed a sparrowhawk, slowly circling above the reedbed waiting for the birds to arrive. Safety in numbers maybe, but the nightly spectacle nightly attracts the predators.

A lovely finish to a day that was so much better than was forecast. After a night of rain, the day got better and better, and we had our first blue skies and sunshine for over a week. Marsh harriers are back at Leighton Moss, I may get a chance to look for one tomorrow.

At home, we have started tidying up the garden, weeding the flower beds, and clearing the slippery green algae off the paving stones. I planted the rhubarb plants that I feared were dead in the winter in our new vegetable bed. Meanwhile, a siskin has been in the garden all day and at one point was singing in our dawn redwood tree. Lambs are in the fields, and slugs are in the garden.

Afterthought: I really should have called this "Apostrophe" or "Comma".