Just a few of the one million starlings that choose to roost on the reedbeds at Ham Wall RSPB nature reserve on the Somerset Levels. There are so many that roost in the same place that they have all but flattened the reeds, and as each wave of birds drops down to find a place to roost the noise is incredible. The sound of all those thousands of wings and the squawking arguments as they jostle for position has to be heard to be believed! It takes about half an hour for them to eventually settle after rising up, swooping around and plummeting down again over and over again until they all find an inch of reed to grasp for the night. It's an amazing sight and hundreds of people gather every evening to watch the spectacle .... but the poor RSPB have to manage and preserve this environment that is flattened and covered in the droppings of a million starlings every night for the whole winter! It's not an easy problem to solve but they do a grand job trying! Link to my video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj_OVWAfGvI
