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I've seen this with my own eyes.

The flock was a fraction of the size in the vid, yet still spectacular. It happened over a beach in Cornwall/Devon, I think........ can't really remember 'cos I was pilled up a tad. (Which may have added to the wow factor).

Anyway, watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakKfY5aHmY&feature=related

I saw a similar thing in Rome a couple of years back.  It was simultaneously beautiful and a little scary.  Like hitchcocks the birds, with everyone in the street staring up in the air like it was some alien invasion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V71hz9wNsgs&feature=related

It gets even better because I've just learned the phenomenon is known as a murmuration of starlings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNqhi2ka9k&feature=related

Starlings used to (perhaps they still do) flock and then roost in the trees around the Oasis Leisure Centre. Not as many as this but still spectacular.

Seen something like this in on a smaller scale in Cornwall but with seagulls, a field had just been ploughed and they were scavaging until my dog spooked them. The noise was just as impressive as the sight when they took off. Think they can't quite grasp the sea part of their name though.

They are quite often at the rear of where I work next to J16. All sit on the telegraph lines and in the trees. Then they are off. It's great to see.

Bizarrely, the only time I've ever seen something like this was stood at Swindon Railway station waiting for the train to Gloucester..... was mesmorising.

Loads of the people on the other platforms came up to stand at the end of the platform to see it..... the starlings must have been 1/2 a mile away but you could hear the wings beating - was very impressive.

Jonah

300,000? What sad cunt counted them?

And he missed one

There was a simalar one to this in walcot on thursday.No where near as many but was brilliant still and my daughter was fascinated by it

This has reminded me of a home game I was at probably 10 years ago, maybe longer ago.  A little boring, to tell the truth.  I remember spending much of the game watching a flock of starlings perform over the town centre/North Star from the back of (what is now) the DRS.  That was £15 well spent.

I was lucky enough to see something like that in person on Christmas Eve about 3 years ago up in Suffolk. Even though those clips are amazing there is still nothing like seeing it for yourself. God knows how many birds there were. If someone had told me there were 10,000 or 100,000 (or 300,000) I would have believed them - it's impossible to guess really.

This all took place over reed beds. And eventually, in groups of 500 (or maybe 1000, who the fuck knows) they started dropping down into the reed beds to roost for the night. Then before you knew it, as suddenly as it had started, everything was quiet and the sky was empty. Amazing. I felt privileged to have seen it.

You can see them doing this anywhere, any day of the week just before the sun goes down. Most of the time though there will only be 20-40 birds so you obviously get the effect seen above. They're doing exactly the same thing though.

I have seen a formation like this very very very very close up :D

I was driving up the M4 between Chippenham and Swindon on a summers evening when I saw a formation flying right next to the motorway, all the time thinking the rest are just following the first few birds no matter where they go.......

Then they swooped over the motorway at road level and everything ent very dark and BANG I hit about 50 or more of them! the car covered in feathers and blood and all the other cars in a similar state to mine, luckily it didn't cause a massive pile up but as I got to my friends in Swindon I got out and found 4 of the little blighters stuck in my bonnet and grill.

Not much fun TBH.

A murmuration of starlings could be seen over Northampton Town's ground a few years ago during matches. That's cool.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/content/articles/2007/02/01/starlings_over_sixfields_feature.shtml


Easier to scavenge in land than on the coast in winter I'd guess.

Back in the early 00's I used to be billetted in the Arkells, and a display of starling aviation over Buckhurst Field, was often a welcoming distraction form some of the shit on the pitch....although not a twitcher as such, I do like a bit of bird watching. The best ground I've ever been to for this is Adams Park.....would be good to see a red kite there, as I've seen a few around the Chilterns, and even some stretching down the M4 to Reading.

For a reasonably local display of bird numbers, Slimbridge is worth a visit in winter....good place to take little uns as well.

They're as common as Sparrows in the Chilterns but the Red Kites are well into Wiltshire as well Reg. I've seen them around Aldbourne and Marlborough.

Interesting....I thought this might happen, but yet to see any myself.  Do they compete with buzzards, because they're everywhere, you even get them in the Great Copse (Croft Woods)?

Around the Wycombe area there are dozens of Red Kites...in fact they have become fairly dangerous on account of them feeding on the meat of dead animals on the Motorway(M40)...they swoop down at a pace but seem to struggle to get airbourne quickly,i have had two near misses with the lorry with regard hitting them.

Lovely looking birds though.

Always think its an amazing sight, mesmorising when you do see it!

Always liked the Carling advert (although the beers dreadful), always liked the thought that Starlings liked a drink or two!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWCazRvsGOs

No I don't think they do. I'm no Bill Oddie but I think that whereas Red Kites feed on carrion. i.e they like their meat dead before they eat it (as per Leefer's post) Buzzards feed on live prey.

This was part of the problem for the Red Kite in the first place when, because of their scavenging behaviour they were regarded as vermin (this is back in Victorian times) and they were all but wiped out. The reintroduction programme that's been going on for over 20 years now has been a massive success.  I've seen 2-300 being fed down at Gingrin Farm in the Brecon Beacons.

Buzzards feed on carrion as well.

Starlings are ace. The best place i've seen their flight displays is around the ferndale rd area, by the crossroads with St marys grove.
Get buzzards in the area behind the holiday inn by coate-liden. Also see the odd muntjac deer there on occasions.
Only time i've seen a red kite was when one was sat on a fence post a mile or two the other side of the old severn bridge.

They are out again over greenbridge

Theres a regular Buzzard at Mannington Park, least I think thats what it is,always get mobbed by the Crows and little Birds of Prey maybe Kestrel/Sparrow Hawks? can been seen hunting and hovering at the grassy bits of Shaw Forest.

I regularly see crows(usually in pairs) attacking buzzards in flight. Never seen other birds of prey doing this though.
Buzzards seem to be thriving as i see them in various places daily on my travels. Magnificent looking birds in the air and when sat still.

I've seen two Red Kites over Highworth so they're in the Swindon area.

I saw a common pigeon smack a peregrine falcon on the back of the head once. The peregrine was part of a display at The Hawk Conservancy and was sitting on a fence post at the time (great display :)).

Peregrines are bloody quick when swooping down, but not so in level flight or from a standing start. Funnily enough there aren't any pigeons around when its up in the air.

They (the Hawk Conservancy) also re-introduced wild red kites back into the valley where it is situated (near Andover). They frequently come in to feed with the display kites, along with wild buzzards.

Workmate of mine who is retired now reckoned that when he made love to a certain lady and got to the important part it was like having a flock of Starlings go up his ass - quite how he knew I don't know?

 Saw a red kite yesterday, between J15 and 16 of the motorway....proper big bugger, well excited  :)

[url width=400 height=360]http://www.one-world-trading.com/kites_big/OW_FighterMylarBigRedB.JPG[/url]

???

Is that because 'sea' is not part of their name? No such thing as a seagull, a gull is a gull (so I heard on QI anyway).

:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

How could you tell it was excited Reg ?

I saw a couple on Sunday whilst driving down Langley Lane, not far from the Trout at Lechlade. Both flying very low.