Willington GP Starling Roost - Latest

The Starling roost at Willington GP is getting quite popular, especially during the Christmas holidays. Numbers of birds remain high at 10-15 thousand. The displays have been quite subdued to date with no predators around to stir things up but on Saturday the 28th December we were treated to quite a spectacle with virtually all the birds remaining in the sky together and a couple of Sparrowhawks trying to catch their dinner. It was a shame the sunset didn't live up to the display but I guess you can't have it all.

Here are some photo's from recent weeks:

 

Starling Roost - Willington GP

Paid another visit to the Starling roost at Willington Gravel Pits yesterday and the numbers were better with the full flock remaining in the air together until they all finally dropped into the reeds together. There was also the bonus of a couple of Sparrowhawks hunting the flock which created some brilliant movement and shapes. The only let down was the cloudy sky which didn't relent until the end of the show.

The numbers were good, reaching c5000, which meant I had to switch to the wide angle set up to get them all in the frame.

Sparrowhawk below the flock

Sparrowhawk below the flock

The cloud relents a little allowing a little colour into the sky

Starling Roost - Willington GP

Following are a series of photo's from the Willington GP Starling roost this evening. A conservative estimate is c2000 birds although it was hard to say as they came in waves and some of the early birds dropped into the reed bed early, hence we never saw the full number in the air together.

One of the larger groups seen

A small group drop into the reed bed

Kidney!

Fish!

Not a huge number but quite a nice spectacle non the less. Also heard a Water Rail squealing in the reed bed and had c250 Greylag Geese come in to the main lake. A Barn Owl was hunting along the edge of the sheep field, chased by a Kestrel at one point. A large group of Barnacle Geese were in the sheep field, uncounted due to distance and the tight grouping. Not a bad evening!