Our Own Private Murmuration of Starlings: November 11, 2021

Because of the “murmuring” sound they produce, a large group of starlings flying in formation is called a “murmuration.”

There are many photos of these on line:

murmuration of starlings (photo: pinterest.cl)

These murmurations can include thousands of individual starlings.

Today we had a showing of several hundred at Marie Curtis Park.

European Starlings
European Starlings
European Starlings
European Starlings

Murmuration occurs after the breeding season and in the colder months of the year. It is thought that this is a method of “signposting” a chosen roosting spot, a way of staying warm in the company of others and a way of decreasing the chances of an individual being captured by a bird of prey.

European Starlings
European Starlings
European Starlings
European Starlings


Marie Curtis Park scenes:

debris on beach
WW2 era sound baffle
leaves in Etobicoke Creek

Today was Remembrance Day and we had several airplane flyovers heading to downtown:

Some botany:

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)
Black Currant (Ribes nigrum)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus inserta)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Red Maple leaves with Beech leaves

Today’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Oh Sing We Now The Holy Weeds – Margaret Atwood

When autumn comes, the Acorn’s ripe,
The Walnut black is too;
Young Milkweed pods are sweet when boiled,
And Milkweed shoots when new.

Miles Hearn

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