The Starlings are back in town!

As the nights draw in and become colder, going out in the evenings might not be top of your agenda but if I was to tell you that an evening visit to Lodmoor could produce one of nature's most spectacular shows... a Starling murmuration... you might think twice!

It's been several decades since that last really impressive Starling murmuration in Weymouth with Radipole hosting a regular roost back in the early days of the RSPB’s management. However the last thirty years have seen starlings drop dramatically in numbers across the UK and starling roosts have also been diminishing. We assumed the sight of 20,000 Starlings swirling around in the skies above the Weymouth Wetlands would be a distant memory until a regular visitor to the reserves posted this amazing video on our Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10151152619257017

These Starlings would have mostly come from the continent where the weather is now getting somewhat chilly, especially compared to the UK hence millions of them migrate here to spend the winter. When I said earlier that Starlings are declining, I am largely referring to the UK breeding population. Along with House Sparrows, the Starling is in a steep decline with several causes affecting them. Farming techniques and lack of nesting opportunities are both big players but it’s certain that a combination of factors have been at play.

If the roost continues through the next few weeks, RSPB staff and volunteers will hopefully be on site during certain evenings to help visitors to get the best possible views of this stunning performance. Keep an eye on future blog posts or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rspbweymouth to keep up to date!