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Flashheart
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« on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:02:07 » |
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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:
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Saxondale
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« Reply #1 on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:05:13 » |
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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.
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Never knowingly overstated.
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Flashheart
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« Reply #2 on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:07:39 » |
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Flashheart
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« Reply #3 on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:10:28 » |
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It gets even better because I've just learned the phenomenon is known as a murmuration of starlings.
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Gnasher
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Prefers animals to people (in a non sexual way)
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« Reply #4 on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:10:59 » |
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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.
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Cats are better than dogs FACT
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Notts red
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« Reply #5 on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:17:11 » |
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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.
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grubby
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« Reply #6 on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:17:15 » |
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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.
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jonah
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« Reply #7 on: Friday, January 13, 2012, 22:25:08 » |
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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
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Wiltshire boy born and bred - long in arm thick in 'ead.......
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Ginginho
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« Reply #8 on: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 08:19:37 » |
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300,000? What sad cunt counted them? |
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Flashheart
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« Reply #9 on: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 08:21:48 » |
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300,000? What sad cunt counted them?
And he missed one |
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DRS
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« Reply #10 on: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 08:38:06 » |
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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
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Ardiles
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Stirlingshire Reds
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« Reply #11 on: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 08:45:58 » |
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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.
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OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR
- FACT!
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« Reply #12 on: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 08:55:54 » |
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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.
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Peter Venkman
Past glories motivate us when times are bleak.
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« Reply #13 on: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 10:31:35 » |
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I have seen a formation like this very very very very close up  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. |
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From the station at Colchester
To the cells of Warrington
From the services at Leicester
To the slums of Northampton
We travel over England
And one day Europe too
Cos we all follow the Swindon
We're the famous Town End crew.
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