Spectacular Starling Flock

Immense magical murmuration of Spectacular Starlings and a single falcon over Gretna, Scotland

After an abortive first trip to see the birds (they didn't show and Hector caught me on film looking a bit fed up waiting around at the start of the film!) Sally, Jessica and I were lucky a few days later....

I chose the music for its fluid soaring beauty. Music is about the only thing that humans can create that is as beautiful as natural sights such as this murmuration of starlings.

I'm heard to say 'Good Heavens. Look at this!' I was right to be impressed.. it was an astonishing sight of an immense flock of gathering starlings preparing to roost at dusk in February 2008 at Gretna, Southern Scotland, beside the M74 as trucks and cars thunder by. Watch out for the sparrowhawk at the flock edge as it tries to pick off birds. Makes you realise just how irrelevant humans are. The film can't get anywhere close to portraying the beauty and enormity of this sight. You can feel the air push around you as the flock whooshes overhead.
The music is Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble,, from the album Officium.
My exclamation of 'No' at the end on the soundtrack is disbelief not annoyance. I simply couldn't believe what a fantastic sight it was.
There are lots of my photos of this at:
www.flickr.com/photos/heandfi