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Abbie Thorne

Here are some of our top tips for getting the best out of your visit to watch the Avalon Marshes starling roost.

Starling murmurations are a true wonder of the natural world and the Avalon Marshes are one of the best places in the UK to come and witness this amazing wildlife spectacle. Hundreds of thousands of starlings congregate here just before dusk and roost in the reed beds overnight. Marvel at the sight, sound and smell of thousands of starlings going to bed and maybe witness a fantastic murmuration - nature is not made to order so there is no guarantee that the starlings will murmurate on the day that you visit.

Some top tips:

  1. Try visiting on a weekday if possible as this can help you to avoid the busy times and have a more enjoyable experience. Weekends and the Christmas period are the busiest times so we recommend avoiding these times if you can.
  2. Come early to beat the crowds, arriving in the car park before 3:30pm to catch the spectacle. Please note that there may be a walk of up to 30 minutes depending on where the starlings are roosting. We recommend arriving by 2pm - there is lots of other wildlife to discover out on the reserve. The post code for the car park is BA6 9SX. 
  3. Choose a dry day as the starlings tend to perform better in these conditions but there is still no guarantee.
  4. The starling take off in the morning can be really spectacular so why not visit at dawn to see the starlings erupt out of the reeds and hear the sound of hundreds of thousands of starlings waking up and taking off together.
  5. Call the starling hotline on 07866 554142 to find out which reserve the birds were roosting on the night before. Please note this is an automated line and we are unable to reply to messages.
  6. It can be very cold out on the reserve so dress for the weather bringing plenty of warm layers, stout footwear and thick socks.
  7. The walk back will be dark so bring a torch to help you get back to your car safely.
  8. Bring some change, car parking costs £3 per car or is Free to RSPB members (display membership card on your dash) in the RSPB Ham Wall car park. 
  9. Please park with courtesy. The car parks can get very busy. Park as close to the next car as possible but don’t block any body in.
  10. If the car park is full please consider coming back on another day.
  11. It can be busy on the reserve so please be considerate to other visitors. Please leave space on the tracks to allow cyclists and people on foot to pass.
  12. Dogs are only permitted on the main track and public footpath running along the Glastonbury canal (Red Route) at RSPB Ham Wall and must be kept on a lead at all time. Please note dogs are not permitted on Shapwick Heath NNR.

Read more at http://bit.ly/HMWstarlings

 

Coming from a distance to see the roost? Why not see if there is a starling roost site closer to home? Check out the starling murmuration roost map to find your closest roost: http://bit.ly/2RtHG1x

 

Want to know what time sunrise and sunset is? Follow the link for the times: http://bit.ly/2DkDzBZ . Remember that dusk and dawn are around 30 minutes before sunset or sunrise and in the evening murmurations can start 1 hour before sunset so allow plenty of time to arrive and get to the roost site (at least 90 minutes) so that you do not miss the spectacle.