Murmuration

Kess73

Murmuration. Now I know this word is normally associated with starlings, but was watching a very large collection of birds put on a very starling-esque display on the Shannon estuary about two or so hours ago and the majority of the birds were not starlings.


Could not get close enough for a positive id but some were starling size and some would have been similar in size to a Northern Shoveler ( There were Shovelers present and was able to compare sizes when some flew towards the air display.

From what I could see from distance the two main species of bird involved in the fairly spectacular airshow were fairly distinctive in colour. The larger species were dark with bright white flashes under wing, and the smaller species (possibly starling sized or slightly larger) looked to be brownish with light flashes (cream or white) underneath.

I was looking from the Limerick side of the Shannon towards Clare so the sun was setting behind the birds, and they would have been a good 100 yards from me, but they were nearly all able to land on water and take off again from it, and they would have numbered in the low hundreds. Very agile fliers, and the display was very similar to a murmuration of starlings in that it creates a display of every changing shades and shapes.

Saw it in two locations over the period of about an hour. From just outside of Foynes (on the Glin side side) facing towards Clare, and again from the Limerick side of Foynes (Where there is marshland behind Robertstown church/Graveyard).

Was a pretty spectacular show, but have never seen one like it in that area and it is an area I have been in a lot over the years. I know that Northern shovelers are very agile birds despite how they look so the larger birds involved could possibly have been them ( I did see plenty of shovelers in the area, and the flashes of white under the wing would fit)


Wish I had the camera with me, and wish I had been closer to make a positive id, but loved what I did get to see.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Any chance it was Golden Plover?

Bsal

Could they have been a flock of Knot?

roweeeeena

I was just on the dart, coming in to sydney parade (10:30am) Just before we got in to the station, I was looking out over the water and saw what looked similar to a starling murmuration (which I have never seen in person).

They were a little way out to sea and it was hard to distinguish if they were starlings but from catching a glimpse of the individual silhouettes I don't think they were starlings, but I might be wrong.

They were up high in the sky, not down by the water fishing. Do any water or sea birds make those formations also? It was great to watch!

ThunderCat

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure I've seen Knots do this. That might have been what you saw.

Kess73

Carmelo Weak Bandage wrote: »

Any chance it was Golden Plover?

Actually that would be a very good shout. Their size, colouration, and flying style would tick all the boxes for the smaller species.

They were just too far out for me to make a positive id and had not seen any of them closer to shore for me to even have thought of them. Funnily enough I did spot some grey plover yesterday in the Shannon estuary, but will have to have a look again in the next few days to see if their golden cousins are in the area I was.

Kess73

Bsal wrote: »

Could they have been a flock of Knot?

Good shout as well, but the upper body colouration was wrong for it to have been a flock of Knot. The flying style would be similar alright but what I could see were defo not greyish on the upper body.


Plenty of them around the Glin and Tarbert area yesterday though for anyone who may be out and about in those areas. There is a nice hide just outside of Tarbert (on the left hand side as you head towards Limerick) that was put up for birdwatchers and it offers a nice view across the estuary and puts you in a great location to watch waders at low tide.


Kilteery pier near Glin (not Glin pier) is also a nice spot to birdwatch and you may even catch a glimpse of a few bottlenose dolphin there at times.

Kess73

Srameen had it spot on with his suggestion. One of the species was golden plover. Got to watch a few more wonderful air displays near Robertstown and near Glin since I started this thread, and was able to get close enough to id the golden plover.


The stretch of the Shannon estuary from Tarbert to Robertstown is a twitcher's delight at present