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Murmeration 1 of 5

Posted by
Doug (Burnham-on-Sea, United Kingdom) on 21 February 2013 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.

I was travelling home from work and often choose the peat moors between Glastonbury and Burnham, enjoying some of my favourite Somerset scenery and wildlife, also in the hope I might catch the murmeration and on Monday and Tuesday I was lucky to see it. The sight and sound of this spectacle is incredible.

Just to explain Starling murmurations are where thousands of birds flock together, swirling in the sky at dawn and dusk, hundreds of thousands of starlings darken the sky with these incredible, acrobatic displays on their way to or from their roosts in the reed beds on the moors. The murmerations on the peat moors here in Somerset have been estimated in the past to be over 3 million starlings and this year they seem to be incredibly large.

So I hope you like this series as I try to show you this incredible sight.
In this shot they began to gather from all directions

Canon EOS 500D 1/125 second F/6.3 ISO 200 55 mm

SPOTLIGHT IMAGES AT:
http://dougp.aminus3.com/featured/

Please excuse me if I don't get to comment people's images some days but I've had to return to a work life rather than become a pensioner as I had planned due cost of living and the tax man wanting a lump of my pension. I am making an effort to return to AM3 after a bit of an absence, it's really nice to see photo's from all contributors and I will try to comment when I can. If I offer criticism I do so only to help and I do not wish to cause offence. My photography tends to be from my travels, as well as my passion which is wildlife and landscape. I hope you enjoy what you see.
Thanks for your comments I'm really grateful for them and welcome constructive feedback.

Jypyä Pop from Turku, Finland

It seems ett return migrants are on the move.

21 Feb 2013 5:33am

Anina Botes from Auckland, New Zealand

Wow! What a sight! It must have been quite an experience. Thanks for sharing it.

21 Feb 2013 6:00am

Luke from Spokane Washington, United States

A giant flock!

21 Feb 2013 6:23am

Ronnie 2¢ from Atlantic Shores, United Kingdom

Long while since I have seen this myself and still rare to see one starling in my part of London. Looking forward to the series !

21 Feb 2013 7:03am

helys from Paris, France

Wow
Such a lot of birds
They're going back home!
So beautiful landscape, colors, details
Thank you:)

21 Feb 2013 7:04am

noel from paris, France

impressive shot at the right time

21 Feb 2013 7:35am

Stephen from Canberra, Australia

Incredible capture - lovely shot with the foreground interest as well.

21 Feb 2013 8:00am

Emma G from Auckland, New Zealand

wow, that would have been an incredible sight...thanks for sharing with us.

21 Feb 2013 8:12am

Nigel from Avening, United Kingdom

Right place right time.........at last. Well done.

21 Feb 2013 8:40am

Mhelene from Villiers-sur-Marne, France

Beautiful and impressiv ! Great capture !

21 Feb 2013 8:56am

omid from mashhad, Iran

very nice & wonderful!

21 Feb 2013 8:57am

tataray from france, France

Vraiment impressionnant, ils nous manquent le bruit !... :))

21 Feb 2013 9:18am

Martine from bousval, Belgium

Géniale ta photo!! j'adore ++++++

21 Feb 2013 9:21am

swarnendu from habra,west bengal, India

lovely shot.

21 Feb 2013 9:22am

Curly from South Shields, United Kingdom

Very nice shot Doug, you ought to see this sort of thing in the city, I remember seeing them in Newcastle quite an awesome experience.

21 Feb 2013 9:26am

CElliottUK from Reading, United Kingdom

I've only ever seen one, and they are indeed spectacular sights as the form so many shapes in the sky

21 Feb 2013 9:31am

Devi from Chennai, India

What a magnificent catch of this amazing sight !!! Thanks a lot for sharing :-))))

21 Feb 2013 10:19am

JD York from Aberdeen, United States

Really good photo Doug. I was also trying to catch a photo of sandpipers in flight but they move too fast and turn too often so I can appreciate this shot.

21 Feb 2013 10:41am

gerard1948 from Somewhere on earth, Spain

Excellent capture, I have observed this phenomenon murmeration, but never as important. It is very impressive. A great shot.
Have a good day.

21 Feb 2013 10:46am

Kate from EXETER, United Kingdom

I have seen this too Doug, but didn't have my camera to hand, well caught I can hear them now.

21 Feb 2013 10:47am

Julie L. Brown from Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Lovely landscape as well. That must be an amazing sight. Looking forward to seeing more!

21 Feb 2013 11:09am

grouser from Ludlow, United Kingdom

Stunning Doug. The last time I saw tis was inyour part of the world. Haven´t seen them do this in the Ludlow area for years.

21 Feb 2013 11:25am

Adela Fonts from Barcelona, Spain

Interesting explanation and picture! Beautiful...!

21 Feb 2013 11:30am

Mariana Maoduš from Waterloo, Canada

wow.. birds invasion ! impressive .

21 Feb 2013 11:44am

Denny Jump Photo from Easton, PA, United States

Wow - Absolutely fantastic scene here - the whole of it!! The landscape is so beautiful and this swarm (indeed a perfect word here, I think) is captured magnificently. I have been fortunate enough to see the starlings as they swoop around in uison here in giant flocks...not sure if I have actually witnessed a numeration, per se, as those I know are GIANT swarms, but this is just terrific. I love how they swing and sway like swing dancers gliding around at random, yet perfectly together. You have a masterpiece here my friend, This is going to be Great....as the popular song goes here "Let's Get This Party Started" I cannot wait :-)

21 Feb 2013 12:38pm

Jules from Drayton, United Kingdom

I love that word - we do have some fantastic collective nouns - you have really caught the swarm in motion here

21 Feb 2013 1:16pm

Marie-Line from Lille, France

Impressive!

21 Feb 2013 1:31pm

Lena from San Francisco, United States

Beautiful view, nice scene capture.

21 Feb 2013 3:20pm

Mandar from Kudal, India

Interesting.....

21 Feb 2013 3:29pm

Jeff from Pembroke Dock, United Kingdom

Great capture of an amazing sight, i've seen it on the tele but not in real life, looking forward to the rest of the series .

21 Feb 2013 3:50pm

Steve Rice from Olympia, United States

A beautiful shot of this amazing spectacle.

21 Feb 2013 3:51pm

Slackwater - Don from Spokane, United States

Spectacular capture.

21 Feb 2013 4:19pm

Nicou from Sion, Switzerland

Quel nuage et image quelle vue et compo superbe bravo.
amitié

21 Feb 2013 5:13pm

Carol from Leamington, Canada

The birds show up nicely against that soft lavender sky... so pretty. I like the composition, the colors are quite striking. A nice atmosphere and very pleasing to view. Looking forward to the series!

21 Feb 2013 5:59pm

Alun from cheshire, United Kingdom

It really is nice to see them doing this, can be some great shapes

21 Feb 2013 6:06pm

Elaine Hancock from Rockville, United States

What a beautiful spectacle. That is a lot of birds. The color is beautiful. I look forward to this series!

21 Feb 2013 6:25pm

Ruthiebear from Titusville, NJ, United States

I am looking forward to this. I am fascinated by birds anyway. This location is so lovely and the sight of so many birds is wonderful.

21 Feb 2013 6:40pm

kiwisa from North Shore, New Zealand

How wonderful, this is something I have always wanted to see. Look forward to your series on it.

21 Feb 2013 6:51pm

CarineB from Paris, France

Great capture well composed !

21 Feb 2013 7:04pm

Eric Cousineau from Sherwood Park, Canada

Definitely an impressive sight! Nicely captured Doug! ;-)

21 Feb 2013 7:11pm

destani from mashhad, Iran

Excellent ! 5*****

21 Feb 2013 7:55pm

ghazal khalatbari from shahsavar, Iran

wow....

how amazing...

21 Feb 2013 8:20pm

Judy aka L@dybug from Brooksville, FL, United States

Oh, how wonderful this is and to think it's only the beginning!
Thank you, Doug, for sharing this phenomena with us; I can't wait for more.

Boy, you with your Starlings and Denny w/his Snowgeese have us watching 'The Birds' this week!

21 Feb 2013 9:21pm

Christine from Ellemford, United Kingdom

Amazing, I would love to see it

21 Feb 2013 9:42pm

Regina G. Santaella from Cancún, Mexico

Such a beautiful landscape. The composition is outstanding, well done!

21 Feb 2013 9:52pm

RBL from Oxford, United States

Awesome to see ~ Awesome capture!

21 Feb 2013 9:53pm

Ted from South Wales, United Kingdom

never having seen this before, looking forward to this!

21 Feb 2013 10:17pm

Rick from Toronto, Canada

This is going to be an amazing series, I can already tell. Great shot, Doug.

21 Feb 2013 10:48pm

john4jack from Corvallis, Oregon, United States

whoa! neat capture

21 Feb 2013 11:26pm

L'angevine from Angers, France

oh là si on se mettait à les compter!!!lol

22 Feb 2013 8:50am

Ainsley from Derbyshire, United Kingdom

Wonder how many thousand there is there, an awesome sight.

22 Feb 2013 4:08pm

Joyce from Montana, United States

It appears to have a soul, that's it. They are a flock, a collective, and yet it just seems that they are One. In a sense they are. This is what man can relate too, as we are also a flock, independent yet One.

23 Feb 2013 1:11pm

This image has been featured in 1 Remix collection.

Moments efĂ­mers by Adela Fonts

Canon EOS 500D
1/125 second
F/6.3
ISO 200
55 mm