8:00am Friday 12th February 2010
MOTHER nature brought motorists to a halt at the weekend when thousands of birds flocked in unison across the hills.
Others on the A44 near Kington slowed to a crawl as the starlings crossed the main carriageway at the highest point of the Radnor Forest near Kington.
Pixley photographer Ian Collins was close to The Fforest Inn at New Radnor and captured the scene just as a routine day out with his camera neared its conclusion.
“I was actually taking a sunset round the corner when it happened and everybody stopped in their vehicles to have a look at them,” he said.
“I have never seen anything like it, especially on a main route. They do tend to stay on the same spot though apparently, so other people may want to have a look around there too.”
Half a million pairs of starlings breed every year, with large flocks occurring more commonly in winter as they leave smaller groups to forage for food together.
Sadly, numbers have declined in recent years and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) has urged homeowners to erect special nesting boxes to help.
Alexis Johnson, from RSPB West Midlands, said: “Seeing starlings fly in these incredible formations is one of the most amazing sights we can come across in nature, but because of their recent decline, sightings like these are unfortunately becoming more and more rare, which make them even more special.”
For more on how to help, visit rspb.org.uk/ homesforwildlife
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