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Help regarding Starlings (1 Viewer)

Greg19

Member
Hi there, im new here... this has never really been something im really interested in.

But about 10 minutes ago i walked into the front room and saw my Brother watchinga a program (it was autumnwatch with Bill Oddie i think) and on the screen the sky was filled with clouds of starlings diving around... it looked really beautiful and i would love to see this for real some time...

My brother only said that the presenter said it was at the river severn i think... he didnt say they said anything else.

Id really love some information on this, all help appreciated... if this isnt the right place to ask, could you point me in the right direction?

Thanks alot in advance.

Greg
x
 
Greg19 said:
Hi there, im new here... this has never really been something im really interested in.

But about 10 minutes ago i walked into the front room and saw my Brother watchinga a program (it was autumnwatch with Bill Oddie i think) and on the screen the sky was filled with clouds of starlings diving around... it looked really beautiful and i would love to see this for real some time...

My brother only said that the presenter said it was at the river severn i think... he didnt say they said anything else.

Id really love some information on this, all help appreciated... if this isnt the right place to ask, could you point me in the right direction?

Thanks alot in advance.

Greg
x

Greg

I was thinking the same. I would think it would be somewhere on the Lower Severn but I'm sure someone will know.

Does anyone know of a big roost in the Cheshire area?

paj
 
paj said:
Greg

I was thinking the same. I would think it would be somewhere on the Lower Severn but I'm sure someone will know.

Does anyone know of a big roost in the Cheshire area?

paj

Scouring the net i found theres a place called the Frampton pools where it happens?

And theres also the west pier in Brighton too...


Id love to know of anywhere else and how often this goes on for with them and when it happens most still though.
 
Greg cannot help with the location,but yes,the prog was superb,photography absolutely stunning.Just shows what amazing birds the common Starlings turn out to be.
 
When people have talked about this previously I have tried to find out more information for myself, like all of you feeling that a starling roost is just about the most impressive birding spectacle there is. In fact in the Bill Oddie programme he says that it is the most amazing of all the wildlife sights he has seen. A previous contributor to Birdforum said that the roost in the programme is at Westhay, on the Somerset Levels, west of Glastonbury. There is information about the reserve there on http://www.somersetwildlife.org/reserve_4.php. However someone else said it was at Kings Sedgemoor Drain; this is still the Somerset levels.

Other sites mentioned in previous posts are at Aqualate in the Midlands (Staffordshire?) and at the RSPB reserve at Conwy. I believe there is a big roost at the Leighton Moss RSPB reserve in Lancashire.

As far as Cheshire goes there used to be a wonderful roost on the Runcorn/Widnes Bridge, at one time up to a quarter-million birds apparently. I intend to find out if there is still a roost there and if so go to see it. However I think it is still early to get the highest numbers as not all the continental starlings have arrived yet, and they swell the numbers significantly.

Alan Hill
 
When are the best times to go see them?

I dont think i can go in say the next few weeks, but having to wait a year or something would break my heart.
 
alanhill said:
When people have talked about this previously I have tried to find out more information for myself, like all of you feeling that a starling roost is just about the most impressive birding spectacle there is. In fact in the Bill Oddie programme he says that it is the most amazing of all the wildlife sights he has seen. A previous contributor to Birdforum said that the roost in the programme is at Westhay, on the Somerset Levels, west of Glastonbury. There is information about the reserve there on http://www.somersetwildlife.org/reserve_4.php. However someone else said it was at Kings Sedgemoor Drain; this is still the Somerset levels.

Other sites mentioned in previous posts are at Aqualate in the Midlands (Staffordshire?) and at the RSPB reserve at Conwy. I believe there is a big roost at the Leighton Moss RSPB reserve in Lancashire.

As far as Cheshire goes there used to be a wonderful roost on the Runcorn/Widnes Bridge, at one time up to a quarter-million birds apparently. I intend to find out if there is still a roost there and if so go to see it. However I think it is still early to get the highest numbers as not all the continental starlings have arrived yet, and they swell the numbers significantly.

Alan Hill


Alan

If you find the Runcorn roost is still there, let us know...that's only about 20 miles from me.

paj
 
As far as the best time is concerned I think December and January should be best, but mid-November to February should be OK too. The important thing is to have the Scandinavian and north-European starlings around as well as the resident population.

Incidentally in the Bill Oddie programme he says that large roosts are there for the principle of 'safety in numbers', but an article on p7 of the new (November) Birdwatching magazine questions this: why starlings, crows, finches, gulls and pigeons roost together while other species roost in small groups or as individuals it thinks is more to do with communication about the best feeding grounds. What do you think? I have my own theory but it isn't any of those mentioned!

Alan Hill
 
This isnt something im really heavily into... so i couldnt really come up with a decent reason why i dont think...

Im not sure about the saftey in numbers thing or the feeding ground thing...

I was reading about them at the west pier in brighton... its abondoned and half way out into the sea... im not sure if that would make an ideal feeding ground or not... i dont think i could imagine so to be honest... someone mentioned that after the pier was set on fire, he saw them at his home which was quite a bit away getting twigs and things from his chimney and could only assume they were being taken back to the pier to rebuild their nests because theyre still there.

It was also mentioned that after they started their little mid-air ballet... other birds come from over the rooftops to join in with them...

I think its one of those things id rather never have an answer for... it just seems alot more beautiful to me that way.

December to January sounds great... i will be able to go see them sometime in those 2 months. Im on tour in December too so ill do some research into them around the areas were going.

Thanks alot for the help from everyone.
 
Hi Greg and on behalf of those of us on staff here at BirdForum, a warm welcome to you :t:

It only takes one bird to get you hooked so be verrrry careful ;)
 
i lived in blackpool a few years ago and they used to roost on north pier - all afternoon theyd come from the marshes and gardens heading for the seafront.

also there used to be a roost at wrabness in essex - but i havent been there for about 15 years - so dont know if its still there
 
I also saw the program and now see Starlings in a totally different light. They went from probably my least favourite bird to something that needs a little more watching! I have also today seen an article in a birding mag which suggests following your local flocks to get an idea where the local roosts are. The mag suggested noting the direction in which the smaller flocks flew as dusk approached. Get the general direction then perhaps next day drive toward that direction and watch which way they then fly. With luck you should be lead to a decent sized roost as all the smaller flocks come together. I haven't tried it yet but probably will as I too want to be mesmorised by the wheeling and diving of a huge flock about to roost.

Regards,

Richard.
 
Saw the starling roost at Leighton Moss on Tuesday last week and it was spectacular watching the small flocks come in and congregate in the reeds, flattening them and creating a hollow.

The noise of the wingbeats as they came in low over the reeds and water to avoid predators was very impressive and I was surprised that the sparrowhawk, perched nearby, didn't chance it.

It seems that the best idea is perhaps to turn up to a suspected roost about an hour or two before sunset. That's when it all seemed to start at Leighton Moss on Tuesday. I'm thinking I'd like to go back later in the winter when the numbers are even greater.
 
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There is a roost in preston, granted not a huge one, but still worth a look at, a few hundred birds at least. For anyone who knows preston, its at the top of london road, opposite the prison. It looks like some sort of phone mast or the like, they start to flock just before dusk.
 
Greg (and anyone else new who has joined to enquire about starlings)

There's a couple of other recent threads, and a couple more in history, that give details about starling roosts.

Keep looking around the site, as it looks like a lot of people are in danger of being "hooked" by the roosts.

Also, while you are here, take a look at this starling photo from the gallery!
 
I mostly see Starlings and Red Winged Blackbirds in huge flocks, mostly in fall. I think it is the juveniles that flock as they have less clue about what the world is than adult birds. In most cities here you can find them on wires by the hundred.
 
Just posted on a similar thread! There is a roost at Marazion Marsh, Cornwall. Was there this evening, it is pretty spectacular! It would seem that they like reed beds!
 
Starlings on Widnes/ Runcorn Bridge

paj said:
Alan

If you find the Runcorn roost is still there, let us know...that's only about 20 miles from me.

paj

:hi: I read this message and out of curiosity went to the Bridge at 4pm today. Was rewarded with a great spectacle of many thousands of birds by 4.15, although when we first got there we could only see a couple of hundred. We ( my kids and I) watched from the Widnes side, near the Mersey pub where the old transporter bridge approach is. The birds were flying much closer to the Runcorn side and were very acrobatic. It was very impressive and even the kids were enthralled and actually asked to go back tomorrow.
Sheer luck that we arrived at exactly the right time.
 
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