Ballet in the sky - starlings flew to Britain

Ten thousand starlings over power pylons on the Scottish border are no joke! These rare birds begin to gather in anticipation of winter, and such bird "gatherings" in these places can be seen every year. And every year the grandiose spectacle fascinates again and again.

The pictures you see in this issue were taken near Rigg, near Gretna Green, Dumfriesshire. Photographer Owen Humphreys captured this amazing celestial flight for a reason - he specially came here to admire these graceful celestial dancers.

(Total 11 photos)

1. “The figures they wrote out were just amazing - a gorilla, two dolphins or even a huge bird,” says the photographer.

2. “Turn on your imagination, you will see everything you want. Nearby, a large bird of prey was flying - probably a buzzard - and because of it, the starlings became even more excited. They not only write out incredible figures, but also scream simply unimaginably.

3. “I came to this place for three weeks to take the most impressive photos. Yesterday I finally got it.”

4. There are several theories as to why starlings congregate this way.

5. Some say that they do it just for fun, or that's how they communicate, but most likely this is a survival instinct - just such a number of birds will confuse any predator.

6. The weight of starlings on electrical wires has led to minor power outages in rural areas near Gretna, where about 2,000 people live.

7. These birds are especially important for the largest conservation charity.

8. Although this species is fairly common in Britain, it is not as abundant elsewhere. Usually starlings migrate to the British Isles for the winter in search of a milder climate.

9. They are rarely seen in the Scottish Highlands, but in the rest of the UK they appear in the form of huge flocks like this.

10. It is believed that there are about 1.5 million of these birds left in the UK, although the exact number is unknown.

11. The largest nesting sites are found in plantations, reed beds and in the urban centers of Britain, although most of them are in the southern part of England.