Coppicing time

     A few days ago local Tonbridge birder told me about a starling roost he had spotted near some former gravel pits, now flooded, east of town along the Medway valley. Needing a good walk on New Years Day, I decided to have a look myself.....and sure enough as dusk fell, I guess about 1000 starlings started to gather up and make their wonderful patterns in the sky as they swooped back and forth. It was quite a spectacle. 
     Further along the valley hundreds of crows and Jackdaws were also going noisily to roost and Fieldfares were zipping overhead and diving into the bushes around us. After a good fifteen minutes of swooping back and forth, as the light disappeared, the starlings finally decided it was safe to settle and plummeted into the bushes......and the magic was over. As we trudged our way home a Little Owl and a Tawny both called, and a late Lapwing streaked overhead. It was a wonderful way to start a new year.........