For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Article and photos courtesy of Jim Duncan of www.lomondphotography.co.uk
There was a time when it was just betrothed couples flocking to Gretna Green. Now the Scottish border village is getting arrivals by the millions and most of them come by air.
Around dusk every evening the sky turns black as hundreds of thousands of starlings flock into Gretna Green, this is known as a 'Starling murmuration'.
Swooping and swirling across the dimly lit sky, they could almost be mistaken for an approaching storm cloud.
"It's a terrific wildlife spectacle. As wildlife photographer Jim Duncan commented "anyone can enjoy it, you just need to open your eyes and look up." He added "I visited the area on Saturday afternoon and was treated to a display that has to be seen."
In this dazzling aerial display, over a million starlings wheel and dive across the setting sun, creating elaborate patterns and drawing the admiring gaze from birdwatcher's & passerbys.
It's a wonder that there aren't more feathers flying in mid-air collisions, but scientists recently discovered the secret behind their amazing spatial awareness. Each starling tracks seven other birds - irrespective of distance - enabling the group's impressive cohesion.
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