Hello to you all and hope you have had a good Festive Period and your New Year Celebrations go well.

2021 has been an up and down type of year again hasn't it? 
Here at 'Starlings In The UK HQ' is has been no different and I haven't been completely on top of everything where the website and map has been concerned, so apologies for that.
As with a lot of people during the various lockdowns etc, I kind of 'lost my way' and have had to give myself a little 'nudge' up the behind regularly to keep everything flowing.
This is down to a few things including a new job role and also the fact that I do not have a good roost site near me that I can go and chill out near......
Anyways, as always a MASSIVE THANK YOU to those of you that have joined our Facebook group, 'liked' our Facebook Page, Submitted Info for our Murmuration Map..... It really does astound me how the group & website etc has grown!! 
At one point the website went in to the Top 25 of the website 'The Top 1000 Birding Websites!!' MAD!! 

Well, regarding the map, I hope to have a 'Spring Clean' of the locations once the season is over. 
Any locations that we have not had any reports for 3 years will be removed and any data will be stored for future reports. 
We may turn those areas to a different icon, or may remove them completely. What are your thoughts?
The map is fast approaching 1million views..... just BONKERS!!!!!!!

Behind the scenes I am working on a Forum as there are quite a few people that do not do facebook, sometimes I really do not blame them.! 
This forum will be split in to areas and locations and will also incorporate a section for 'the rest of the world' too.
I hope to have the forum running before the end of the current season! 

I am also working on a Subscription Newsletter service too and then from the 2022/23 season I shall put out detailed Newsletters, possibly once a month, if not more.....

Right, well, that is about it for now. 
We hope you have a great New Year and fingers crossed 2022 and beyond is good to you all

Best Wishes

​Glenn and Sarah

A Quick update regarding our Facebook Group & the Murmuration Map. 

Sarah and I sat down after the Lockdown Announcement last night and have come up with a couple of decisions regarding Murmurations and Roost sites.
Firstly the Facebook Group is going to stay on Post Approval for the remainder of the season. With Lockdown until at least mid February we feel this is the best option.
Also to not encourage people to travel we shall no longer be allowing any more posts from this season. Please keep footage and photos until the season is over and lockdown restrictions have been relaxed. 
We are therefore asking people to only submit photos etc from previous years as a Lockdown Look Back.
Within this we will not be allowing and RSPB reserves though to keep those out of the limelight this season. 

THE MURMURATION MAP.... 
From this point forward we will not update the locations with any updated information. This is to try to reduce the risk of people looking at recent information and travelling outside of their local area against the Lockdown rules.
We understand that the majority of people will understand why we are doing this and also that it is the minority that would flout rules to travel distances to see Starlings etc, so if we can help that in any way, we hope by taking these steps, it will stop them.
This has been a difficult decision to make as we enjoy seeing all the information come in and all the footage that gets posted. We are though asking for you to continue sending your information to us so we can keep it in our database to add to the location information once the season is over.

Again, we hope that you understand our reasoning behind this

Please Stay Safe,

All the best for now

​Glenn & Sarah.

HELLO ALL!!! 

Firstly, We hope you had a good Christmas and New Year despite the 'Tier' stages! We made the most of it as most people did.
a HUGE Thank You to those that have sent in Information for the Murmuration Map this season, it has been extremely helpful.
Although a lot of the RSPB reserves are not being included on the Map this winter due to Covid restrictions and the risk of overcrowding, we are hugely grateful for your information and we are storing it in our database so we can keep a record of each location to re-add to the Map once the season is over.
On the Facebook Group we are still on Post Approval for the moment as we will continue with the RSPB wishes and will not be approving posts from a lot of the RSPB sites just incase we contribute to the numbers attending during the tier 3 & 4 restrictions.
Although updates for the Murmuration Map have been slow this winter it is good to see that a lot of new, smaller roosts are being reported. Hopefully being reported after we asked for people to Stay Local and Search Starlings. 
We shall continue to monitor the 'Tier' situation but it is looking very likely that we will continue to NOT update a lot of the RSPB locations this season.
Thank you again for your continued support and here it to a much more relaxed and 'free' 2021/22 season,

Take Care

Glenn & Sarah. 

  Hello All and what a year it had been so far.....!!

With the Starling Season upon us and with the current situation regarding social distancing and certain places around the country having various local lockdown measures we are changing this winters Murmuration Map .
We have seen that a couple of the Nature Reserves that feature on the Map have asked people not to travel distances to see the Starlings to help reduce numbers within the reserves. We have been requested to not activate some of these reserves and have taken to decision to temporarily remove these sites from the map.
If you are local to these reserves then please continue to add information to the Submit Info form and we will add that to our database when they are added back. 
We know that a lot of people will avoid these reserves with crowded narrow paths etc but there are a few great displays with huge open viewing areas like Brighton, Aberystwyth and Blackpool North Piers where not only do you get a great amount of Starlings coming to roost but there is a large viewing area for people to be able to spread out and social distance correctly. 
This brings us to an idea for this winter.... LOCAL STARLING SEARCH!! 
We think that this winter would give you the opportunity to search out the Roosts local to you.. 
If you do not know of any close to you then you could ask on your local Facebook Groups/Pages to see if they know of any locally, then you can let us know too.
We shall continue to monitor the situation as we go into the winter and see how the Map is working and what locations will need to be kept dormant for the time being. 
Please keep safe and take precautions... if there seem to be too many people consider moving on and coming back again at another time.
Thank you for now

​Glenn & Sarah

Hello All, 
Hope you all had a great Christmas and that you are now relaxing.
Quite a few of you are off for a week or two and we have had some good Map Update information. 
The map has now been updated and below is a list of the ones on our Murmuration Map that still show as active.#
If you know that any are no longer active, please let us know.

​Ayrshire, Adrossan Harbour.
Barking, Jenkins Recycling Centre
Berwickshire, Houndwood
Cambridgeshire, RSPB Fowlmere
Cheshire, Neumann's Flashes
Cheshire, RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands
Cheshire, Rostherne Mere
Conwy, RSPB Conwy
Cornwall, Poldhu Cove, Mullion
Cornwall, Rough Tor
Cornwall RSPB Marazion
County Durham, Daddry Shield.
County Kerry, Nine Daughters Hole, Nuns Beach.
Cumbria, Jubilee Bridge.
Cumbria, North Walney.
Cumbria, Siddick Ponds
Cumbria, Silloth Airfield
Cumbria, Watchtree Nature Reserve.
Derbyshire, Cavendish Mill, Stoney Middleton
Derbyshire, Ogston Reservoir.
Devon, Exe Estuary.
Devon, Heathfield Newton Abbot
Devon, Slapton Ley.
Devon, Southerton, Newton Poppleford
Dorset, Burton Mere.
Dorset; nr Wareham
Dorset, West Bexington NR
Dumfries and Galloway, RSPB Mersehead
East Riding of Yorkshire, Brough Aerodrome.
East Sussex, Brighton Pier.
East Sussex, Hastings Pier
Essex, West Mersea
Essex Wildlife Trust Gunners Park
Gloucester, Cotswold Water Park
Hampshire, Beaulieu River
Hampshire, Blashford Lakes NR
Hampshire, Freegrounds Road Area.
Hampshire, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth.
Hampshire, Ibsley
Hampshire, Market St Eastley.
Hampshire, Redbridge Causeway
Herefordshire, Hereford
Ireland, Co.Tipperary, Ballynonty
Ireland, Lake Shore Drive
Ireland; Tullaghnafrankagh Lough
Isle Of White, St Lawrence
Kent, Newchurch
Kent, Ramsgate Seafront.
Kent, Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve.
Lancashire, Brockholes NR
Lancashire, Glasson Dock
Lancashire, Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve.
Lancashire, North Pier, Blackpool.
Lancashire, RAPB Leighton Moss
Lincolnshire, Anderby Creek.
Lincolnshire, Far Ings NNR
Lincolnshire, Fiskerton Fen NR
Lincolnshire, Gibraltar Point NNR
Lincolnshire, Scotter Rd, Messingham
Lincolnshire, Spalding
Lincolnshire, Whisby Nature Reserve
Norfolk, Burnham Overy Staithe
Norfolk, RSPB Titchwell.
Northamptonshire, Stanford Reservoir
Northamptonshire, Summer Leys NR
Northern Ireland Albert Bridge Belfast
Northumberland, Lambley Mine Water Treatment Station
North Yorkshire, Catterick
North Yorkshire, Ripon Wetlands
Nottinghamshire, Attenborough Nature Reserve.
Oxfordshire, RSPB Otmoor
Perth & Kinross, Butterstone Loch
Selkirk, Pot Loch
Shropshire, Whixhall, Whitchurch.
Somerset, Dowlais Lane, Seawall Reserve.
Somerset, Ham Wall Nature Reserve.
Somerset. WWT Steart Marshes
South Uist, Ardkenneth
South Yorkshire, Potteric Carr Nature Reserve.
South Yorkshire, RSPB Dearne Valley - Old Moor
Staffordshire, Aqualate Mere
Suffolk, Aldeburgh, Martello Tower.
Suffolk, Covehithe Beach
Suffolk, RSPB Minsmere
Teesside, Coatham Marsh LNR.
Tyne & Wear, Amazon Warehouse
Tyne & Wear, Birtley Reed Beds
Tyne & Wear, Gosforth Park Nature Reserve.
Wales, Aberystwyth Royal Pier.
Wales, Anglesea, RSPB Cors Ddyga.
Wales, Cardiff Bay Wetlands.
Wales, Carmarthenshire, Llangeler
Wales, Powys, Llandegley Rhos Common
Wales, Powys, Llanrhaeardr-ym-Mochnant
Wales, RSPB Newport Wetlands
Wales, Ystumllyn Reed Beds, Criccieth
Warwickshire, Brandon Marsh
Warwickshire, RSPB Middleton Lakes
West Midlands, Weoley Castle
West Sussex Haywards Heath
West Sussex Hedgecourt Lake
West Sussex, Nutbourne Railway Stn
West Sussex Worthing Pier
Yorkshire, RSPB Fairburn Ings

WOW!! Since we started the #murmurationmap in November 2014 it has clocked up over 600000 views! That is WAY more than Sarah and I ever anticipated when we started it. THANK YOU ALL.

Also, thank you to those of you that continue to send in details regarding Starling Roost locations, be it updates, new locations or those that are no longer being used by the birds.

Here is the list we have of Active sites. If you know any different or of some need to be deactivated please let us know. Thank you

Ayrshire, Adrossan Harbour.
Barking, Jenkins Recycling Centre
Berwickshire, Houndwood
Cambridgeshire, RSPB Fowlmere
Cheshire, Neumann's Flashes
Cheshire, RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands
Cheshire, Rostherne Mere
Conwy, RSPB Conwy
Cornwall, Poldhu Cove, Mullion
Cornwall, Rough Tor
Cornwall RSPB Marazion
County Durham, Daddry Shield.
County Kerry, Nine Daughters Hole, Nuns Beach.
Cumbria, Jubilee Bridge.
Cumbria, North Walney.
Cumbria, Siddick Ponds
Cumbria, Silloth Airfield
Cumbria, Watchtree Nature Reserve.
Derbyshire, Cavendish Mill, Stoney Middleton
Derbyshire, Ogston Reservoir.
Devon, Exe Estuary.
Devon, Slapton Ley.
Devon, Southerton, Newton Poppleford
Dorset, Burton Mere.
Dorset, West Bexington NR
Dumfries and Galloway, RSPB Mersehead
East Riding of Yorkshire, Brough Aerodrome.
East Sussex, Brighton Pier.
East Sussex, Hastings Pier
Hampshire, Blashford Lakes NR
Hampshire, Fishlake Meadows
Hampshire, Freegrounds Road Area.
Hampshire, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth.
Hampshire, Market St Eastley.
Hampshire, Redbridge Causeway
Herefordshire, Hereford
Ireland, Co.Tipperary, Ballynonty
Ireland; Tullaghnafrankagh Lough
Isle Of Wight, Brading Marshes
Isle Of White, St Lawrence
Kent, Ramsgate Seafront.
Kent, Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve.
Lancashire, Brockholes NR
Lancashire, Glasson Dock
Lancashire, Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve.
Lancashire, North Pier, Blackpool.
Lancashire, RAPB Leighton Moss
Lincolnshire, Anderby Creek.
Lincolnshire, Far Ings NNR
Lincolnshire, Fiskerton Fen NR
Lincolnshire, Gibraltar Point NNR
Lincolnshire, Whisby Nature Reserve
Norfolk, Burnham Overy Staithe
Norfolk, RSPB Titchwell.
Northamptonshire, Stanford Reservoir
Northamptonshire, Summer Leys NR
Northumberland, Lambley Mine Water Treatment Station
North Yorkshire, Catterick
North Yorkshire, Ripon Wetlands
Nottinghamshire, Attenborough Nature Reserve.
Nottinghamshire, Netherfield Lagoons.
Oxfordshire, RSPB Otmoor
Perth & Kinross, Butterstone Loch
Selkirk, Pot Loch
Shropshire, Whixhall, Whitchurch.
Somerset, Dowlais Lane, Seawall Reserve.
Somerset, Ham Wall Nature Reserve.
Somerset. WWT Steart Marshes
South Yorkshire, Potteric Carr Nature Reserve.
South Yorkshire, RSPB Dearne Valley - Old Moor
Staffordshire, Aqualate Mere
Suffolk, Aldeburgh, Martello Tower.
Suffolk, Hen Reed Beds.
Suffolk, RSPB Minsmere
Teesside, Coatham Marsh LNR.
Tyne & Wear, Amazon Warehouse
Tyne & Wear, Birtley Reed Beds
Tyne & Wear, Gosforth Park Nature Reserve.
Wales, Aberystwyth Royal Pier.
Wales, Anglesea, RSPB Cors Ddyga.
Wales, Cardiff Bay Wetlands.
Wales, Powys, Llandegley Rhos Common
Wales, RSPB Newport Wetlands
Wales, Ystumllyn Reed Beds, Criccieth
Warwickshire, Brandon Marsh
West Midlands, Weoley Castle
West Sussex Hedgecourt Lake
West Sussex, Nutbourne Railway Stn
West Sussex Worthing Pier

There have been videos and photos posted on our Facebook shows hundreds of thousands of Starlings now gathering and roosting just south of Gretna Green.
Over the last couple of years they seem to have been split but the footage and reports show an impressive sight as the come in to roost.

The marker on the Murmuration Map has been moved slightly south of where they were last year but still on the same road, just north of the Metal Bridge roost site.

http://www.starlingsintheuk.co.uk/roost-map.html 

With a week of October still left the active roost sites are coming in.

So far there have been 31 Starling roost locations either reactivated or added as new roost locations through people reporting them to us via our online form. For that we thank you.

As well as the forms sent to us we also carry out searches of various social media platforms like Twitter, Youtube and Facebook to try to find any extra locations posted by people that may not know about our website or murmuration map. 

Here are the Active locations as of 28th October 2019. 

​Ayrshire, Adrossan Harbour.
Buckinghamshire, Calvert Lake
Cornwall, Rough Tor
Cornwall RSPB Marazion
County Durham, Daddry Shield.
County Kerry, Nine Daughters Hole, Nuns Beach.
Cumbria, Jubilee Bridge.
Cumbria, North Walney.
Devon, Exe Estuary.
Devon, Slapton Ley.
East Sussex, Brighton Pier.
East Sussex, Hastings Pier.
Hampshire, Freegrounds Road Area.
Hampshire, Market St Eastley.
Kent, Ramsgate Seafront.
Kent, Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve.
Lancashire, Glasson Dock
Lancashire, Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve.
Norfolk, Burnham Overy Staithe
Norfolk, RSPB Titchwell.
Nottinghamshire, Netherfield Lagoons.
Shropshire, Whixhall, Whitchurch.
Somerset, Dowlais Lane, Seawall Reserve.
Somerset, Ham Wall Nature Reserve.
Suffolk, Hen Reed Beds.
Suffolk, RSPB Minsmere
Teesside, Coatham Marsh LNR.
Tyne & Wear, Gosforth Park Nature Reserve.
Wales, Aberystwyth Royal Pier.
Wales, Anglesea, RSPB Cors Ddyga.
Wales, Cardiff Bay Wetlands.
West Sussex Worthing Pier
Worcestershire, Kemerton Nature Reserve.

We have just updated the #murmurationmap tonight and two great locations are now Active. 

RSPB Ham Wall has decent numbers now roosting, but a video on Twitter shows amazing numbers coming to roost at Rough Tor in Cornwall. 

Good to see the roost site reports coming in now and the Map starting to look better.

Here's to the next couple of weeks and hopefully more locations.