RSPB Mersehead Blog 14th – 20th December 2024
I cannot quite believe that I am writing the last RSPB Mersehead blog of 2024. What a year it has been for the reserve with highlights including the reintroduction of Tadpole Shrimp after a 60-year absence, the first ever successful Marsh Harrier breeding attempt on the reserve, and a peak count of 100 Natterjack toadlets this year compared to 0 in 2023.
I thought I would take the time in today's blog today to write about the beautiful Starling murmurations that we have the privilege of watching at Mersehead. No matter how many times I witness this phenomenon, I never get tired of it, and I became intrigued as to why and how Starling murmurations occur.
European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are a familiar sight across the UK and are often observed in towns and cities, or in gardens devouring the contents of bird feeders! Starlings are an amazing species with beautifully-coloured feathers and an amazing ability to mimic sounds such as bird song, human speech, animal noises, and machinery. In good light conditions, you can see the gorgeous greeny-purple sheen to Starling feathers and the accompanying white speckles that make them look like an aurora on a starry night.
Starling Sturnus vulgaris, adult perched on gate, RSPB Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve, Essex, April. Photo credit: Ben Andrew
From November to February, Starlings begin to gather at dusk in large flocks of hundreds, thousands, or millions of birds, to form a murmuration. A murmuration, meaning the act of muttering, is the collective noun for a group of Starlings and this term was coined due to the noise made by these birds when flapping in flight. If you have ever been lucky enough to witness a murmuration, or have heard the whoosh of Starlings flying past, you will know exactly what I am talking about. A few nights ago, I thought that there was a massive gust of wind at Meida Hide, but it turned out to be a huge flock of Starlings flying overhead! Incredibly, Starlings are capable of reaching speeds of up to 90mph, however during a murmuration they typically fly at speeds of around 30mph. One of the visitors at Mersehead described the Starlings as looking like a tornado when they plummeted down to into the reedbed to roost the other night, and I thought this was a very accurate analogy due to both their speed and the shape of their formation at that moment.
"Tornado" of Starlings at RSPB Mersehead. Photo credit: F. Sanders
In my mind, it is incredible to think that none of the birds collide in flight, particularly given that there are so many individuals in close proximity at fast speeds. Many researchers have tried to understand how Starlings coordinate their movements during a murmuration and don’t collide in flight. In order to investigate this, cameras have been used to film murmurations and, following this, the movements of individual birds have been tracked and reconstructed using the footage. So far research has revealed that, during a murmuration, an individual Starling interacts with 6 to 7 neighbouring individuals, following their signals, and mimicking changes in both their speed and direction to avoid collisions. If a single bird moves, the neighbours will follow, causing a wave-like motion throughout the murmuration. During a murmuration, there is no obvious leader, which is unlike the ’V’ shaped formation that occurs when species such as Pink-Footed Geese are in flight.
Starling Murmuration at RSPB Mersehead December 2024. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Starling Murmuration at RSPB Mersehead November 2024. Photo credit: F. Sanders
Many hypotheses exist to explain the occurrence of a murmurations however no one truly knows the answer to this question. One theory suggests that murmurations reduce the risk of predation through factors such as safety in numbers, confusion to a predator as it struggles to home in on its prey, and warding off predators. At Mersehead, the main predators of Starlings are raptors such as Peregrine Falcons and Hen Harriers, and you may see these during a murmuration witnessed from Meida Hide. Dead Starlings have been found in recent weeks in one of the barns on site, and it is thought that these Starlings have been predated by a Barn Owl in their roost location. A second theory exists to explain the formation of murmurations, and suggests that Starlings flock together to draw in other Starlings to the same roost site to increase the overall temperature overnight. Fascinating!
Murmurations continue to occur most evenings at Mersehead reserve, and you can be treated to thousands of birds flocking and flying together. If you are interested in watching a murmuration, below if a list of other places across the UK where you can see one:
Our last Wetland Bird Surveys of 2024 were carried out this week and you can see the results for both Mersehead and Kirkconnell below:
Mershead WeBS count 15/12/24
Kirkconnell WeBS count 18/12/24
This is our last blog of 2024, and we shall return in the New Year to give you further updates on the reserve. We shall see you on in 2025!
Please note that the visitor centre and toilets will be CLOSED at RSPB Mersehead from Monday 23rd December 2024 - Tuesday 2nd January 2025.
Freya Sanders, Assistant Warden
At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages - Barnacle and Shelduck. Available dates go quickly, so please follow the links to book your holiday for 2025.
*Flooding - Please note that Mersehead nature reserve is prone to flooding during periods of high rainfall and/or strong winds and tidal surges. To avoid disappointment at these times, please contact the reserve in advance of your visit by email in the first instance at mersehead@rspb.org.uk or check the RSPB Dumfries and Galloway Facebook Page for daily updates.