A Mumuration of Starlings

I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed this phenomenon before, but I even knew what it’s called. It took place when I walked my loop Friday, right here in the suburbs.

Starlings were flocking in neighborhood trees earlier this morning, but here was a whole flock of them in an aerial dance right ahead of me, swooping and looping back on themselves, undulating.

This will give you the idea.

I learned about it when I wrote the story of Dale Wilson earning money for his senior year during the Great Depression when there was a bounty on the pests.

Story also in Leora’s Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great Depression.

From The Wandering Voice by GardenBird, “The beautiful sight of them flocking and flying in perfect formation is something you don’t forget in a hurry once you’ve seen it, but arguably, the most interesting fact about murmuration is that starlings are the only species of birds who do it.”