Sunset & starling murmurations on the Somerset Levels

Although I love living in a city, I always appreciate escaping to the countryside for a few hours, and I’m lucky that Bristol is within easy reach of some of the most beautiful parts of the UK. One of my favourite areas to visit is the Somerset Levels – a vast swathe of wildlife-rich plains and wetlands whose watery vistas and ever-changing light always feed my soul. What’s more, every winter it plays host to one of nature’s greatest spectacles: starling murmurations.

From December to March the reed beds of the Levels are home to hundreds of thousands of starlings, who head off each morning to feed, sometimes venturing as far afield as 20 miles. In the afternoon they return to roost, forming huge flocks to protect themselves from birds of prey and wheeling about in unison before coming into settle. Chris and I have tried to see them before without much success, but the weekend before last brought prime weather conditions – dry, bright and still – so we ventured down to the Avalon Marshes (one of best places on the Levels to view them) for another attempt.

We were hoping for a good display, but it would have been worth the journey in any case as we were treated to a stunning sunset while we waited for the starlings to put in an appearance. Strolling through the marshes, listening to birdsong as the landscape glowed gold and then rose-pink, was magical. Along the way we spotted ducks pootling among the reeds, swans drifting across mirror-still pools and even a heron gliding down silently from above.

And then, it happened. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we spied an undulating ribbon of black dots streaking across the sky. Soon it was joined by another and another and another, before they all gathered together into a dense cloud that swooped up and down in a graceful airborne dance. We soon realised we were standing in slightly the wrong spot as our view was partially blocked by the treeline, but it was still a joy to watch and something I’ll never forget.

Here are a few photos from the day…

If you want to see the murmurations on the Avalon Marshes yourself, pick a fine day without much cloud or wind. There are two different reserves, Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath, but an automated RSPB telephone line (07866 554142) will tell you where the starlings have most recently been spotted. The murmurations usually begin just before dusk but can start at any point in the hour leading up to sunset, so it’s worth arriving early – especially as you’ll most likely have to walk a little way from the entrance gates. It’s also worth visiting on a weekday if you can, as it gets very busy at weekends and the car parks fill up quickly. We went on a Sunday and many people had left their cars along the narrow access lanes, causing a bit of a traffic jam when the time came to leave.

You’ll find more information on the Avalon Marshes here, and a map of other murmuration viewing spots around the UK here.

All photography by Abi Dare