Ham Wall

Although I had pretty much opted out of Christmas, I did send (and receive) cards, and I did buy some gifts (mainly for children) and was sent some. So I had quite a busy morning messaging and phoning people, opening my presents (all books except I jigsaw, all fab). I knew my 4 year old neighbour was popping in with some sweets he had made me (!!) and he was concerned that I didn’t have a tree, so I put up some coloured lights. Plus I’m feeding 4 cats ( including mine) which is time consuming, though lovely. So I got to Ham Wall (an RSPB reserve on the Somerset levels) early afternoon.  Been wanting to go for ages. It’s a fantastic place, lots of walkways, I saw and heard lots of woodland birds and water birds.  And the sun was shining - though it had been raining when I left Bristol. About 3.30 I saw people were starting to gather in a spot between two bodies of water, so I joined them. Would it happen? Yes it did! Many hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of starlings, whirling and swooping across the sky in all directions, and above our heads. Mainly in sub groups crossing each other, now and again joining up into a bigger mass. Probably most of you have seen a murmuration but I never have. Just a few times when they all turned together they seemed to be making black pictures in the sky. See second extra. A phone camera really is inadequate to this. Whereas my first extra of a few lying directly overhead is better as at least you can see what they are. Eventually, most of them settled on the reeds nearby, the noise was incredible. Suddenly, they didn’t like those reeds ( maybe a sparrowhawk? ) so they rose again, every few seconds a huge group rose, and headed off again to a place out of sight. I was so thrilled and excited. 
Drove home through fog - not nice.  Watched Wallace and Gromit. Delightful. Then cooked Christmas tea. On Sunday P and I agreed we’d both make beans, mash, & veggie sausages  and send each other photos - so that’s exactly what we did :-))