Starling Murmuration

Please read this very descriptive account kindly provided by Paul Manchester of the amazing Starling murmurations in Wolverton:

“I have been watching the starling murmuration near to the V5, H2 roundabout on most evenings over the last 10 days,  it has become addictive. I would say they have been in equally large numbers every night,  I can’t say how many birds are flying, but it is a lot. I think they instinctively roost together in order to keep warm and there is safety in numbers.  Previously they have roosted in three different sets of conifer trees around the roundabout. Usually I have watched them from the area of grass opposite the Wolverton health centre, as it is away from the noise of the traffic. You can hear the noise of all the wings beating.  At times they appeared like a swarm of bees, other times like a truly massive swirling cloud. They turn and swoop, sometimes splitting into two or three groups. Then the separate groups come back together like colliding galaxies. Towards the end of their display as it comes close to roosting time the Starlings seem to fly faster and faster. As they all turn together they intermittently form dense ripples constantly changing within the cloud of birds.  They fly more and more franticly until it becomes too dark, then they suddenly they descend to roost in waves of tumbling birds.

One night I stood next to the conifer trees that they had all roosted in, and the noise of chirping was incredible. Then a few of them decided to leave that tree and fly back across the road to where they had roosted the previous night. Those few birds became a stream of birds leaving these trees for the conifer trees across the road. Then it became a river of birds that flowed for about five minutes until these trees had emptied of birds. Now all the starlings were all across the road in  the other set of conifer trees. I think they must have realised the first trees they roosted in were too exposed, so they went back to where they had roosted on the last night.

 What more can I say, you have to see it, it was awesome!”

The murmuration can be viewed from Woodland View off Gloucester Road and from open ground alongside Franklins Croft opposite Wolverton health centre. Sighting have been reported around 17:50-18:30.

A video of the Wolverton murmuration recorded by Paul can be viewed here

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Starling Murmuration, Wolverton, 14Mar15 by Martin Kincaid

Some updates:

20Mar15 The number of startling is estimated as 20-30,000.
24Mar15 Paul Manchester advised that there are fewer starling now and they are spreading out more.