Starlings, so often overlooked are very much the bird of the moment at Lodmoor currently. The juvenile Rose coloured starling which has been around since Sunday is being quite obliging, and is showing quite well early in the morning on the western mud-flats. During the day it is thought to be going over to Lodmoor Country Park/Sealife Centre, but then coming back on to the reserve mid-afternoon. If you go to look for it then I should point out that it tends to be on the edges of the flock, and sometimes appears to asssociate more with the dunlin flock. Although not a beautiful pink winged adult yet, the bird is sufficiently different looking to stand out from the other starlings, with its thicker yellow beak and darker wings. Hopefully we will get some photo's of it on the blog soon.
From about 4pm onwards there is quite a spectacle happening at Lodmoor, with a huge murmuration of starlings developing. Last night there had to be up to 3000 birds in the air, and although there are bigger gatherings to go and see elsewhere the Lodmoor gathering is well worth a look. Who knows how long it will last so catch it while their there.