Starlings by David Kjaer (rspb-images.com)
At this time of year dark clouds begin to form in the sky above fields, woodlands and reedbeds. But these are no ordinary clouds - they're one of the UK's most incredible wildlife spectacles.
Throughout the autumn and winter months, hundreds of thousands of starlings turn the sky black around the UK. The birds come together in huge clouds, wheeling, turning and swooping in unison, before dropping down to roost. There's safety in numbers and roosting together also offers a bit of warmth through the cold dark nights.
These gatherings are called murmurations. If you follow the link you can see a video of one - filmed here at Fen Drayton Lakes a few years ago!
There's often a regular murmuration here once the weather gets cold enough, and I'm really happy to say that just this weekend we started to see a flock of 1-2,000 starlings gathering at dusk over Holywell Lake (the one right in front of the car park).
In previous years there's been a murmuration of 5-8,000 birds strong at its peak in November. There's no knowing how many starlings will choose to roost here this year, or whether they'll stay in the same place, but we'll try to keep you up to date below as the temperature falls further.
Starling and woodpigeon by Kaleel Zibe (rspb-images.com)
Alison Nimmo
RSPB Community Engagement Officer, Orkney
Update 20 November: Our starlings are still making things tricky for would-be watchers.
Yesterday 5,000 came into roost at Holywell Lake, turning up from about 3.30 onwards, but they dropped down immediately into the reedbed without a show.
On other days the weather has been similarly perfect and no starlings have turned up at all; or, like last Friday, the weather has been bad and some birds arrived more like lunchtime.
Never work with wildlife...