Shapes In The Sky

As you will be aware the BBC Autumnwatch programme recently came from the RSPB Reserve at Leighton Moss in Lancashire.We all enjoyed nightly the various topics and live footage from the reserve.One aspect that featured was the murmurations of the starlings as they flew in to roost in the reed beds.These murmurations can provide some exciting viewing as the starlings take evading action as they are pusued by sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons looking for an evening meal.
I joined the assembled "crowds" surrounding the reserve to await the arrival of the starlings.It was a beautiful evening with a spectacular sunset and about thirty thousand starlings duly arrived.They didn't disappoint us and performed some wonderful aerobatics before settling down for the night.I have shown above some of my images taken in fading light but which still hopefully show some of the wonderful shapes that were drawn in the skies above Leighton Moss.Hope you enjoy my efforts to convey this spectacle and if you get the opportunity to visit Leighton Moss in the next month or so you should be guaranteed a memorable experience.Thanks for looking in and my next installment will be about the salmon which are currently running up our northern rivers to spawn in their birthplaces high up in the headwaters.