Starling Murmuration Jan 2013 East Galway

westerlywonder

A video i captured over my house over the last few days of this starling murmuration phenomenon

swifts need our help!

wow brilliant. Bet you dont hang out the washing in the evenings

swifts need our help!

BBC Winterwatch is looking for videos like this

westerlywonder

Yep definitely all washing in before they arrive home but Cars, windows, doors, walls all distroyed. Still cant help but be happy for them!
I will check out that BBC winterwatch, they are welcome to it.

Bsal

Thats incredible, I'd say the noise was magnificent.

westerlywonder

The noise during the murmuration mainly comes from their wings, when they all turn direction at the same time the sound alone from their wings is truely impressive.
Once they start to land and roost for the night thats when the real volume starts, they chatter and chirp all night long until they take off again in the morning. The sounds of a rain forest have nothing on the noise that come from those trees at night.

swifts need our help!

Can I make a suggestion which may go in your favour for the BBC. Put your camera on a tripod and record the starlings as they fly around. I feel its better when you are looking in one direction

Mark

westerlywonder

Very valid point Mark, I will try and get out again and film from a different vantage point. But when filming from my house it is very difficult to pick just one direction to film from as it is almost a centre point and the murmurations take place within a 360 view from here.
Even at the max extents that my camera can view, it is impossible to get a sheer sense of the volume of birds from one angle.
That said, you do make a valid observation and like i say i will try to get out again and film from further down the road perhaps.

nexlar

That's brilliant. I like it.