Wednesday 30 December 2009

Plumstone Starlings

After a rather anxious (and very wet) wait, the Starlings turned up at 1610 tonight, and proceeded to stream in astonishing numbers for the next 25+ minutes. We were standing at the bottom of the Eastern edge of the wood, and saw the birds coming in, generaly downwind, over a pretty narrow arc: from roughly 060 degrees through to 170 degrees, most on about 100 degrees. Not many raptors in evidence in the blustery wind: a pair of utterly inneffectual Buzzards, and a Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. Another birder got a glimpse of a harrier. Flushed a Woodcock.