Brandon Marsh murmuration by Ste Hartley
Common starlings are familiar garden birds, often spotted in large flocks pulling up worms. In the winter, these social groups swell to number thousands of birds that perform synchronised murmurations at sunset. In our last starling blog we explained what murmurations are and how you can see one - so take a look if you missed it!
Many people visited Brandon Marsh to see the murmurations and we estimate the total number of birds was between 15,000 - 20,000 starlings.
In February, when the days become longer and spring is on the way, starlings stop their murmurations. Because it is not fully understood why the birds form murmurations to begin with, it's hard to say why they stop. It's possible that the warming weather and greater availability of food leads to new priorities for the birds - such as building nests and raising chicks.
Whilst tens of thousands of starlings spent the winter at Brandon Marsh, many will leave to return to their summer ranges in other parts of the UK, Europe and Scandinavia. Did you know? Starlings can live as far north as the arctic circle!
Starlings eat insects and tree berries. They make sprawling nests in trees or in buildings, in which the female lays five to seven eggs and both parents then raise the chicks. If you visit any woodlands this spring, keep an eye out for starlings nesting in the trees.
Starlings by Russell Savory (https://vimeo.com/453715689)
Starlings by Russell Savory
The starlings may be gone for now, but there's still plenty of wildlife to discover! At Brandon Marsh, squirrels and jays are busy gathering the nuts and seeds they buried in the winter. The pools are busy with wading birds like water rail, oyster catchers and egrets which can be seen probing in soft mud with their long bills. And don't forget this is the best season for fungi, with shaggy inkcap and birch-loving razor strop fungi abundant in woodlands.
Brandon Marsh is the ideal spot for a day out, with plenty of nature to explore and our cosy café to warm up in with a drink, snack or sandwich afterwards.
