Waw

 Friday February 25

A very unprepossessing backdrop. A supermarket car park, backed by industrial buildings, in a thriving Norfolk town, Fakenham. The Somerset Levels would have been better. Or a pier. 

We arrived shortly before 5 o'clock on a lovely sunny evening, parking near a pharmacy. Five minutes later, small groups of birds began to fly distantly into view, disappearing behind Lidl's looming bulk. 

 

Pam moved the car to the far end of the space. The groups became larger, still not merging.

By 5.20 the Starlings had amalgamated, flying high and wide-ranging, swooping, swirling, in a mad, totally unchoreographed maelstrom. As the sun set, the sky became suffused with streaks of apricot and yellow, a fitting background for the aerial theatre. 

 

The massed cloud gradually neared, until the birds were overhead. We heard their wings for the first time. And the spatter on the cars and concrete. We were under a Starling umbrella, blocking out the sky. 

Shortly before 5.45, the birds started to split again, into the dark spheres which morph into whirls and tails before streaking away. 

could not help exclaiming out loud  at this wondrous, raw, nature display. It was truly awesome.

One of the three other viewers said, ' I'm not religious, but that was heaven sent'.

We left in euphoria, I've never seen as many birds together in the air before, definitely not of a single species. One estimate is 40,000, I wouldn't be surprised if this was doubled.

Note

All these photos were taken by Pam, they are far better than mine.