Villagers enjoy twilight flight sight
Their graceful formations have become a daily routine in the skies above Shropshire.
Thousands of starlings have been flying over the village of Westbury, near Shrewsbury, at dusk each night, swooping and looping over the tree line.
Starlings belong to the highly sociable Sturnidae family – and their gatherings are known as murmurations.
Such sights can be seen across Britain between autumn and spring and happen as the birds return to their roosts, often travelling from up to 30 miles away after a day's feeding.
The displays are so complicated, diving towards the ground, then swooping skywards and never colliding, that they are being researched by physicists, aeronautical engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists, as well as biologists. The incredible, acrobatic displays appear co-ordinated, but are only formed as each bird follows each other's movements.
These stunning photos were taken yesterday in Westbury yesterday
The birds come from Europe to roost in Britain each winter and up to million can settle in one spot. They group together for safety and flock together to keep warm.
The number of starlings in the UK is believed to have plummeted by 70 per cent in the past few years. The RSPB blames this decrease on a shortage of food and nesting sites in many areas. The flocks have been particularly hard-hit in cities, meaning areas like Shropshire remain the best place to see the evening spectacle.
