Great Yarmouth Starling Murmuration January 2018

Back in January 2018 Sue and I with Ann, Phil and Sarah visited Great Yarmouth for the weekend. We had a great time. Ann, Phil and Sarah left mid afternoon on the Sunday.

Sue and I had heard about the Great Yarmouth Starling Murmuration. We found out that it happened around St Georges Park near the centre of Great Yarmouth so decided to stay on to have a look. So glad we did.

We arrive in good time, around 16:21 according to the time on the first picture of the moon. The first few Starlings arrived a few minutes later (16:25). Then it all started happening. I had seen Murmurations over estuary areas in Norfolf a couple of times where you viewed the event over the water. Here at St Georges Park we were at the "Eye of the Storm' - they circled, swooped and flew round the park. In fact we where too close in some respects, but what an amazing experience.

45 minutes after we had arrived  I stopped taking photographs. I was amazed to find I had taken just over 800 photographs.

A few times since then I have looked at the photos and wondered how I could select just a few for a blog. With this event just a few months from now I thought this was a good time to finally sort it out. So putting my ruthless hat on I set to it and whittled it down to the 15 photos here.

The Starling circle the park, not sure if they settle there for the night. In one direction was a red sunset in the other dark sky.

Well with a visit at the end of January if only to experience the vast numbers of birds involved.

RSPB Snettisham Murmuration Spectacular

Strictly speaking, according to the 'dictionary' a Murmuration is a flock of starlings, but some dictionaries say a murmuration is ....

'a large group of birds, usually starlings, that all fly together and change direction together, or the act of birds doing this'

ref - https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/murmuration 

Anyway, it happened yesterday as Sue and I where visiting RSPB Snettisham getting on towards late afternoon. We knew it was coming up to high tide and this 'pushes' the birds up towards the walkway where we could see the birds (and take photos). We had not expected to see this spectacular.

There were quite a few 'Birdwatchers' there at the time. The birds doing this were waders, and I think Oystercatchers.

This was also a chance to use my new lens a Canon 100-400mm mkii that I had bought from a friend at the camera club just a few days before :)