Author Topic: Murmuring (Read 8207 times)

SallyintNorth · « **on:** November 15, 2011, 12:45:02 am »

It's the time of year we hear unseasonal bird calls in the sheds and around the buidings.

The starlings are starting their annual congregating, sharing experiences, learning new sounds. Ours must go to the coast, they come back mimicing curlew and other seabirds. (We get curlew and lapwing nesting here - but won't see or hear the real thing locally until spring. Maybe an early peewit or two prospecting potential nesting sites from late Jan.)

If this year is like the last three, pretty soon the million-strong murmuration centred on Gretna will be on the local news and we shall set off in the last hour of daylight to witness the spectacle

- and afterwards have haggis and chips at the excellent chippie.

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** November 15, 2011, 07:12:12 am »

Wow - a million strong sounds pretty impressive!
There was a a small murmuration on the way to work yesterday - I stopped and watched for a while

No haggis afterwards though

Fleecewife · « **Reply #2 on:** November 15, 2011, 11:18:50 am »

Not enough starlings to do that here (the local flock has grown to about 30 individuals) but the geese are having a good go. It's amazing how much noise their wings make, creaking and flapping, even above the calls. They land in our neighbours stubble fields and take off en masse at the least fright.

Where is the good chippie Sally? Gretna would be a good place to stop on the way home from the deep south.

feldar · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2011, 12:25:27 pm »

We have a small flock over the Totton bridge near Southampton docks, not as many as there used to be but they gather and give a nice display to the traffic going home.

robert waddell · « **Reply #4 on:** November 15, 2011, 03:21:43 pm »

i saw this phenomena at Gretna services a few years ago my first though was i hope they don't roost in a tree overhanging a car it would get a instant paint job just don't like them shitting every where

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2011, 04:18:50 pm »

Robert

- here we all are revelling in the glories of nature and you can only think of bird s**t

Go on, give in to your feminine side and enjoy the spectacle

robert waddell · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2011, 04:43:23 pm »

there is no deigning that it is a spectacular sight and not one that is wide spread with that volume of birds
but there again i have seen two boar badgers fighting over the sow with the birds in that volume there is a downside and that is there paint stripping ability

deepinthewoods · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2011, 05:04:11 pm »

in an earlier life i used to live opposite brightons west pier, thanks for reminding me of this.
Starlings - West Pier Brighton

waterhouse · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2011, 05:04:29 pm »

Dad once parked the car under a rookery for the night when we were on holiday. There was a thunderstorm and the birds got a bit nervous. In the morning the car was some inches deep in twigs and poo: we needed a broom to sweep it off before buckets of water made any difference.

jaykay · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2011, 05:12:08 pm »

Good video Deep

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #10 on:** November 16, 2011, 02:49:55 am »

Quote from: Fleecewife on November 15, 2011, 11:18:50 am

Where is the good chippie Sally? Gretna would be a good place to stop on the way home from the deep south.

Just west of the junction of Central Ave and Annan Road (B721). Google walking man shows it looking closed down, but it seemed to be there last time we passed by. However, we haven't eaten there in a while, so it could be it's changed hands... will report back if we do get up there!