WWT Martin Mere has seen the return of approximately 5,000 starlings at the Centre in Burscough.
And a fair few of them must be on the mosses around Formby.
Coming over the other morning, I drove through what can only be described as a liquid display of aerial activity.
Starlings were moving across in a huge throng, sweeping over the field, up over the hedge and across the road into the field on the other side.
And all the time avoiding being hit by cars!
It was not as spectacular as the displays seen at Martin Mere when the birds come in to roost but it was still a sight to see. The birds disperse during the day but return to the Mere at approximately 4pm everyday with a fantastic ten minute spectacle, creating shapes in the sky as they prepare to roost for the evening by the Chilean flamingo house.
Last year numbers rose steadily until they peaked at 10,000 in January, so the Centre can expect to see a further rise in numbers over the Christmas period.
The best views of the birds display is either from the Pond House or outside the greenwood building from 3.45pm onwards. Starlings spend a lot of the year in flocks, and a flock of 20,000 was shown on Autumnwatch this year when Simon King attempted to infiltrate a starling roost in Gloucestershire.

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