Karen recently visited Fen Drayton Lakes, to celebrate her birthday and watch a starling roost for the very first time. The starlings made a huge impression, and Karen wrote this wonderful poem, in German.
My thanks to Karen for sending it to me, and to Luise for translating it to English.
Ein Herbstwunder in der Abenddämmerung
Der Herbsthimmel war weit;Die Niederungen waren breit.Der Herbstabend kam langsam anund daoben im dunkelnden Himmel,eine wunderschöne Aufführung begann.Ich sah eine lebendige Wolke, erst groß, dann klein;pilzförmig, trichterförmig, nun wie ein Sack, jetzt wie ein Stein.Während wir zwölf Tausend kleine Flügeln belauschen,so hören wir in der Stille ein leises Rauschen.Die Vögelwolke bauschte das glühende Horizont entlangals mein Herz mit Freude sang.So ist ein Starenschwarm beim Sonnenuntergang.Fen Drayton Nature Reserve,Cambridgeshire,12th November 2011
Poem by Karen Rodgers
An Autumn Miracle in the gloaming
The Autumn sky was wide
The fen marshes were broad
The Autumn evening crept upon us
and up in the darkening sky
a wonderful performance began
I saw a living cloud, first large, then small;
mushroom shaped, funnel shaped, now like a big bag, and then like a stone.
As we eavesdrop on twelve thousand wing- beats
we hear a faint noise in the silence.
A billowing cloud of birds on the glowing horizon
and my heart sang with joy.
Thus a flock of starlings at sunset.
Translation by Luise
A lovely poem, now that the Starlings have moved on we can only look forward to next year, and hope the display will get larger and larger as the years go by.
I 've really enjoyed the displays this year. The guided bus means I can visit now regularly and it's a lovely place!