A WOMAN has captured the “incredible” spectacle of starlings murmurating over Studland on camera.
Vikki Billington, from Bournemouth, went to Shell Bay at around 4pm on Saturday and watched as thousands of the birds gathered in the sky before roosting for the night.
She said: “There were only around 11 or 12 flying above us at first, but at around 4.30pm it was incredible – all of a sudden this huge mass started to appear. The display was amazing – they were performing spirals and corkscrews – and when they flew over us, the noise was incredible.
“As the light was going, all together they suddenly dropped into their roost.”
Vikki said it was the first time she had taken pictures of the murmuration, and she encouraged others to see the event for themselves.
Starlings murmurate for many reasons, namely for protection against predators - such as sparrowhawks and merlins - and to keep warm at night and share information, such as good feeding areas.
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