Beautiful photographs capture a group of starlings flying in formation over an Irish lake and taking on the appearance of a large bird.
On Tuesday night near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, photographer James Crombie recorded a perfectly timed flock of birds flying above Lough Ennell.
You will undoubtedly agree that the pictures are excellent.
Photographer Crombie has made more than 50 trips to Lough Ennell in pursuit of the best vantage point for capturing the birds.
Crombie, who was just nominated for press photographer of the year by the Press Photographers Association of Ireland, said to The Irish Times, “I’m generally a sports photographer, so for a while I’ve had a little of time to think about other things.”
“I observed that forms were emerging.” I kept going back to get the picture in my head.
According to Crombie, it took him months to get the photos he wanted. Before he found the best ones, the photographer shot between 400 and 500 frames.
He continued, “Last year, my friend Colin Hogg, who lives close to the lake, told me that the starlings would make a beautiful shot.
Every four to five days, they migrate towards sunset from their nests in the reeds surrounding the lake, carving out shapes in the process.
The starlings are observed murmurating, or sweeping and diving together.
Swarm behaviour is the collective movement of hundreds or thousands of organisms or things.
During earlier murmurations, starlings have been observed forming love hearts and even Christmas stockings.
Just a few weeks before Christmas, Halifax, West Yorkshire-based photographer Ed Sykes recorded a video of the gigantic stocking.
I’ve been to the location several times to shoot the starlings over the past few of weeks, he admitted.
“As we enter December and get ready for Christmas, it’s amazing to capture such an appropriate photo.”
Starlings gather in groups to communicate, stay warm, and defend themselves from predators.
Starlings are regrettably among the UK’s most endangered bird species, with their population having declined by more than 80% in recent years.
