Hi,
I'm sure that anyone fom the newark area is aware of the Starling roost currently taking place in the Lincoln Road area each afternoon.
Could these be the birds that were at Langford up until fairly recently?
16:00 - 16:45 is a good window to view at the moment. A great show yesterday viewed from the KFC car park.
Highly recommended!
Cheers,
Steve
Hi Steve
I think you probably right in that the starlings now roosting in Newark were the birds roosting in the reedbed at Langford, and the birds used to fly in from the south (Newark area). The birds deserted the site in early December when the reedbed froze. The frozen reedbed would have made it easier for foxes and stoats to walk out to the roost site and predate the birds (we saw two foxes out on the ice in December) and that is probably why the birds moved to Newark. I noticed more birds coming in to roost in the Lincoln Road and Northern Road Industrial Estate areas of Newark, using Leyandii trees, in early December. Conifer trees provide cover and warmth for roosting, and towns are usually a degree or two warmer than the surrounding countryside, which is known as the heat island effect.
Best wishes
Carl
I hope they're still there at the weekend :-)
To confirm that the Starlings are still showing very well so I'm sure you'll be fine for this weekend.
Recommend viewing from 16:00 to 17:00 (dependant on dusk length/weather)
A good starting vantage point is the KFC/McDonalds area with the largest concentration of birds to the North-West of Lincoln Road with smaller, individual flocks to the South-East.
To get very close to the actual roost sites, access is very good via side roads etc. I can recommended the area around Winthorpe Road / Park Crescent - see attached map for details.
Good luck!
thats great Steve!
An afternoon birdwatching and KFC for tea, kill 2 birds with one stone (oops not a good phrase to use on here!!) That will please the kids :-)
Amanda