Newchester Farmhouse B&B Newchester Farmhouse B&B
  • Home
  • Rooms
  • Around us
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Book now
Starling Murmurations in Somerset

Starling Murmurations in Somerset

December 10, 2018
Starling Murmurations in Somerset

Starling Murmurations in Somerset

The rain has stopped and with a crisp cold day and no guests, I went up to Ham Wall RSPB reserve up the road to watch the starlings come in to roost. It’s a huge joy on any day, even if it’s just to watch the millions of birds fly in and settle, chattering noisily as they do.  But usually there’ll be a display of aerial joy of one sort or another before they settle down: it’s one of the biggest sites of starlings in the UK. No-one knows how or why they do it, but tonight was a spectacular display. Pure magic.

A lone peregrine falcon came piling in in an attempt to get supper, but whether it’s confused by the mad looping and swooping of so many edibles at one time, or just that starlings can outmanoeuvre a peregrine where they’re in a swirl like that, it came away without success. Not sure if it increased the drama of the swirl or brought it to an early end, or how much word passed through the flock of the danger. We know so little.

It’s a beautiful spot, on the edge of Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels. I quite often yearn for a day to just spend there. With a hot water bottle and a flask.

Here’s the moving version – I filmed part of it on the phone, but then got frustrated watching through a screen and selfishly just watched the rest without technology.


B&B, mymicrogap, somerset, wildlife

Post navigation

NEXT
January change of pace
PREVIOUS
Friday Photo

4 thoughts on “Starling Murmurations in Somerset”

  1. religions says:
    28th January 2019 at 8:39 pm

    I am гeally impresѕed with yоur writing skills as well as with the layout on your
    Ьlog. Is this a paid tһeme or diⅾ you modify it yourself?
    Еither way keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like
    tһis one nowadays.

    1. Ab says:
      4th April 2019 at 3:18 pm

      Thanks so much! I did buy a theme – unicode, though a friend has had to help me unglitch it as we made changes to fit my own design. Glad you like the blog.

      1. Mark R says:
        8th April 2019 at 11:26 am

        You mean uncode.

        1. Abby says:
          9th April 2019 at 7:41 am

          I do!

Comments are closed.

Comments are closed.
TripAdvisor
  • TripAdvisor

Abigail NortonFollow

Abigail Norton
somersetbedAbigail Norton@somersetbed·
2 Mar

Standing in the garden listening to birds belting out song and thinking we share the same inexpressible happiness that spring is here. And found this article inspiring in how to help https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/27/gardens-spring-blossom-dan-pearson

Reply on Twitter 1366650646166966272Retweet on Twitter 1366650646166966272Like on Twitter 13666506461669662721Twitter 1366650646166966272
Retweet on TwitterAbigail Norton Retweeted
blackpooltowerJames Spackman@blackpooltower·
16 Feb

*rewrites will*

Reply on Twitter 1361628502097866753Retweet on Twitter 136162850209786675356Like on Twitter 1361628502097866753386Twitter 1361628502097866753
Retweet on TwitterAbigail Norton Retweeted
DickKingSmithDick King-Smith HQ@DickKingSmith·
13 Feb

• Ultimate comfort on a high performance memory foam mattress that actually isn’t foam at all and really does remember who you are.

• Gently warms you to your ideal body temperature.

• The first dog bed to provide lifelong friendship and companionship.

Reply on Twitter 1360573261260726272Retweet on Twitter 1360573261260726272262Like on Twitter 13605732612607262721835Twitter 1360573261260726272
Retweet on TwitterAbigail Norton Retweeted
SocialHistoryOxJonathan Healey@SocialHistoryOx·
9 Feb

The Earl of Southampton, painted in 1603, with his lawyer.

Reply on Twitter 1359232322042740738Retweet on Twitter 13592323220427407382786Like on Twitter 135923232204274073821291Twitter 1359232322042740738
Retweet on TwitterAbigail Norton Retweeted
ChrisGPackhamChris Packham@ChrisGPackham·
9 Feb

This is why we love them and why the Marx Brothers mirror scene in ‘Duck Soup’ still provides lunatic joy . . . like he says . . . wait for it https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1358874166393516034

Rex Chapman🏇🏼@RexChapman

Wait for it... https://twitter.com/buitengebieden_/status/1358823145793323008/video/1

Reply on Twitter 1359263939591299073Retweet on Twitter 1359263939591299073507Like on Twitter 13592639395912990733222Twitter 1359263939591299073
Load More...
  • Gallery
  • Reviews
  • Dog-friendly
  • Business rates
  • Covid policy
  • Privacy & cookies

Newchester Farmhouse B&B

Broadway, Merriott, Somerset TA16 5QH
Telephone: 07779 606620

© 2021   All rights reserved