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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Starling Roosts (1 Viewer)

The Raptor said:
I believe Gus is probably right about the location of the starlings seen on autumn watch. Bill Oddie stated the roost was on the Severn Estuary & in the background you could see the river Severn was very narrow at that piont. So to me it must be around the Frampton-on-Severn area. Rod.
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The roost has moved to the timber yards down at Purton this year.

I was working at WWT when Bill was there filming back in 2001. The roost was filmed all around WWT Slimbridge. It took several days to get the right shots. I remember the a spectaculer moment when a Perg flew in and the roost whole formed a kind of egg timer shape!

I saw an enormous roost in a French town last week of an uncountable amount and I have seen the roost in SW Denmark/Germany. The birds roost in the reeds along the dykes with 1 million counted regularly.
 
For all those that have yet to see the roost at Westhay, i thought i would post a few photos taken there recently (last sunday). Photos were taken by Lindsay Brookes. :t:
 

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Rob Chace said:
For all those that have yet to see the roost at Westhay, i thought i would post a few photos taken there recently (last sunday). Photos were taken by Lindsay Brookes. :t:
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Thanks for that Rob. Excellent photos. What are the estimated numbers still there at the moment?

John
 
Reader said:
Thanks for that Rob. Excellent photos. What are the estimated numbers still there at the moment?

John
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Hi John,
I havent heard any recent estimates, but i personally think there is not as many as there was before christmas. It is still a awesome spectical though!!!
For anyone thinking of going to Westhay reserve at the moment, be warned that the road between Shapwick & Westhay is currently closed for repairs, so an alternative route must be found.
Regards Rob. :bounce:
 
Hi
Anyone thinking of going to Westhay please be aware that the roost appears to have moved to Shapwick according to Somerset Ornithilogical Society`s website.
 
Extremely large flock showed up in Ulverston,South Cumbria,the day before yesterday.It was reported they had come over from Russia to avoid the extreme low temps.
 
There's been a new big roost, estimated at half a million, at Chard in Somerset but, according to the Westcountry news, the locals are up in arms about it because they've got to wash their cars "twice a day". They want the council to get a bird scarer in. One of nature's most amazing spectacles and yet people can't see further than a spot of poop on their Skoda.

Gus
 
7 million?

I know that extra birds arrive from Europe in the winter but the RSPB says there are 1.2million territories in Britain. Considering that there are Starlings all over the country surely 7million is a bit of an excessive count.
 
teamsaint said:
I know that extra birds arrive from Europe in the winter but the RSPB says there are 1.2million territories in Britain. Considering that there are Starlings all over the country surely 7million is a bit of an excessive count.
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I agree. 7 million...no chance!

John.
 
Don't knock the estimates till you've seen the spectacle.

I went last winter and was knocked out. There were thirty or forty flocks each of fifty thousand plus birds rolling over the ground at once and you could see as each flock dropped in - they came in from all directions and over a period of half an hour or more.

Also don't forget 1.2 million territories in our little island translates to huge numbers across Europe which even excluding Russia has many countries with a larger land area than ours.

On Saturday they were coming over Shapwick heading towards Westhay from five pm onwards. Unfortunately I had to leave before they got really going.
 
It is now 5th March 2006. Can anyone tell me if the starlings are still roosting at West Hay.
I have previously seen the awesome sight in Janaury at West Hay. I intend to take some friends up there today Sunday.

Thanks
 
stretch said:
It is now 5th March 2006. Can anyone tell me if the starlings are still roosting at West Hay.
I have previously seen the awesome sight in Janaury at West Hay. I intend to take some friends up there today Sunday.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Sorry if this is late but i was there last saturday and up until 6.30pm (dark) there was no show but the Merlin catching and eating it's prey while only 50 feet from us plus the two Barn Owls more than made up for it.We watched the Merlin take off from a telegraph pole fly along a water ditch and then return to the post and eat whatever it had caught though we could not see what it was.......superb
 
stretch said:
It is now 5th March 2006. Can anyone tell me if the starlings are still roosting at West Hay.
I have previously seen the awesome sight in Janaury at West Hay. I intend to take some friends up there today Sunday.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Posting on Somerset Ornithilogical Society website yesterday mentions superb views of roost over Canada Farm.
Canada Farm is near the Peat Moors Visitors Centre,however the road is closed and I am not sure of any other access.
 
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Stranger said:
Posting on Somerset Ornithilogical Society website yesterday mentions superb views of roost over Canada Farm.
Canada Farm is near the Peat Moors Visitors Centre,however the road is closed and I am not sure of any other access.
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Does anyone know of any reliable large(ish) starling roosts in the North East of England?
 
I have just been 'phoned by a friend, who told me that "thousands" of Starlings were "doing their Red Arrows Display" near Whittington, Shropshire, last night; viewable from near the Castle, then along the road to Gobowen.
 
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