Shooting starlings

dinneenp

Hi,
There seem to be a massive flock of starlings in my area (Lackagh, Galway) doing their 'dance in the sky'
Before they settle down for the night they perform an aerial ballet known as a murmuration in which thousands of birds swoop and swirl across the sky as one, looking more like a single fluid creature than a collection of thousands of individuals.
There's an article here about shooting them.

I'VE FIXED THE LINK. I found the article interesting even just to find out why they do their 'dance'.
Cheers,
pa.

Paulw

dinneenp wrote: »

There's an article here about shooting them.

Where???

leche solara

The link to the article isn't working

Borderfox

Shot some Curlews down off Dollymount a while ago, the movement is so well done it looks like a monster moving

foamcutter

Nice link and info.
The article mentions 'being the right place at the right time', be even that's not enough.
The first time out with the new Dslr and I can across hundreds of birds sweeping and turning in the sky. It was a amazing sight seeing their colour change as they switched direction. The image doesn't do the birds justice and it proves that it's not just about 'being the right place at the right time' it's about being able to capture it too.

K_user

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,
There seem to be a massive flock of starlings in my area (Lackagh, Galway) doing their 'dance in the sky'

You are only 10 min's from my house and I don't get to see any dancing starlings! The most I get is some angry looking crows!


Just to be serious for a min, must be an amazing sight - can't beat nature for a show!

nilhg

Came on a huge flock of starlings on the old N7 near Emo a few years ago, it was just after sunset and buy all accounts there had been many more a few minutes before, there was a whole long line of cars on the hard shoulder watching the spectacle.

Grabbed a few shots while I could, hard to do the scene justice though.



Slieve Bloom-6 by cilldara, on Flickr

dinneenp

K_user wrote: »

You are only 10 min's from my house and I don't get to see any dancing starlings! The most I get is some angry looking crows!

Just to be serious for a min, must be an amazing sight - can't beat nature for a show!

You can see them from Lackagh, good view from the 'big car park' by the church. Yesterday at about 5:50pm and day before at 5:55pm. So they're like clockwork. I haven't managed to get a picture of them yet though.

Wylie Luke

This is a huge bunch of starlings (I think) the pics dont do jstice to the numbers at Silver Strand first thing in the morning recently!

Starlings01 by LukeCMurphy81, on Flickr

dinneenp

Here's two pictures of them from a few days ago:
I like this one:



This one not so much but it convays the amount of them:

finnegan2010

LOL i came in here to wave my fist in the air angrily, thought you guys were actually SHOOTING starlings.
Ok ill take my fisticuffs and leave now,

"looks embarressed and sheepishly walks back through the door looking back"

Lackagh01

Pretty sick of these starlings, they are near my house which is covered in droppings as is my car and the smell coming from trees where they roost is becoming unbearable. Anyone know if they stay in such numbers for long or do they move after a few weeks, I hope they do can't bear it for much longer.

5uspect

Lackagh01 wrote: »

Pretty sick of these starlings, they are near my house which is covered in droppings as is my car and the smell coming from trees where they roost is becoming unbearable. Anyone know if they stay in such numbers for long or do they move after a few weeks, I hope they do can't bear it for much longer.

I wonder what you googled to come across this thread?

Lackagh01

"Starlings Lackagh" I don't want to shoot them just wish they'd move on

Thecageyone

Being a photography forum the shooting bit should have been obvious

Buy a cat

I caught a picture of 1000s of them last year after they'd burst out of one tree, was really weird. I just happened to be in the garden with the cam, taking pics of the kids, next thing a thunderous flapping sound and there they were over head. I just pointed the camera up and shot before they were gone.


And for some reason i cannot find the image now.

lendmeyourear

Wylie Luke wrote: »

This is a huge bunch of starlings (I think) the pics dont do jstice to the numbers at Silver Strand first thing in the morning recently!

Starlings01 by LukeCMurphy81, on Flickr

are these birds considered vermin....I do not like them at all, my little birds suffer when they come around... I have to keep shooowing them away.