Swooping, soaring, murmurating: why the skies are full of starlings

Temperatures as low as -40C in Russia may be behind a rise in large flocks in the UK as they escape the coldDriving through Ripon, North Yorkshire, last week, Hayley Blaymires was surprised to see thousands of birds swoop in spectacular formations across the sky.She had heard people talking about starling murmurations, which this year have been happening unusually close to the centre of Ripon, but this was the first time she was seeing them for herself. Continue reading...