Hello
Once again i spent some time checking out our starling roost. Every time i go down the Starlings do something different and it is interesting to see the different factors that affect them as they go in to roost. This evening they congregated on the pylon near the kingfisher hide (so of course i was standing on the culvert near the other pylon).
I estimate the roost is now around 1000 - 1500 so it was rather nice seeing that many birds. We aslo had some quite sizable flocks flying round over the reedbed and my favourite bit of all is listening to the noise their wings make as they fly over you turn sharply and circle away, a great expereince.
On one of their fly arounds the starlings seemend to check out a particular patch of bushes bordering the reedbed before returning to the pylon (a sparrow hawk was spotted a bit later). They clearly did not like what they saw as they decided not to roost in the reedbed, instead they droped off the pylon in quite large groups flew low over lagoon one heading East. So it looked like they were heading over to the meadow or most likely the back of draper where they roosted last weekend. After the last of the starlings left the pylon we checked out the reedbed at the back of Draper for any sign of the starlings moving around in the reeedbed before settling down but we could find no sign of them, so they must have found a new patch of reedbed to roost in but where that is i am not sure.
Such a shame i will have to have another watch this evening and see if they come back to the Lee marsh or i can track down there new site! See you then.
Other sightings for thursday 21 November, Bullfinch pair, chiff chaff in with mixed tit flock, gold crest, redwing, buzzard, water rail, cettis warbler, snipe, lapwing, herring gull, gadwall, tufted duck, pochard and teal.
Thanks
Vicky