Flight of the Starlings

 

One of my favorite things about walking in the evenings is watching the huge flock of starlings flying in near a patch of woods near my house to settle in for the night.  I don't always make it at the right time to catch these birds do their evening flight show. But last night was one of the good nights. I had arrived just in time for their bedtime. I tried to take a little video clip of it and of course it just doesn't do it justice. I was trying to capture that perfect moment when they shift but they were too fast for me. 

I don't know much about these birds. But from what I've read they don't have a flock or group leader and yet they all change directions as if it was rehearsed choregraph. I love watching them form complex shapes and giant waves silhouetted across the sky. 

I've also read they are an invasive species. They have taken over native bird habits. They can be a problem for farms. They eat fruits and dig up newly sown seeds. They also eat animal feed. They also contaminate the food and water supply of livestock by their droppings. If I was in the agriculture field, they sound like a huge nuisance. They cause damage to crops and spread unwanted weeds through their droppings. 

They seem like such a mess but they are so cool to look at during their roosting time.