6 | WILDLIFE
Try to capture this amazing and visually spectacular annual wildlife event, says Roddy Llewellyn
For birds, winter means the end of the breeding season. The weather has turned colder so they choose to roost in reeds. Murmurations are where a large group of birds, usually starlings, all fly together and change direction together. These displays tend to happen during the winter months between October and March. Migrating birds arriving from Europe hit a peak in December and January, so it is worth visiting your local wetland centre to capture this magical event. Murmurations change direction rapidly so you need a shutter speed of at least 1/60 sec.
1 Super shapes
Murmurations change constantly, so it is a good idea to take as many shots as you can, then select the best ones when you get home. If you can, use Continuous mode to fire off bursts of shots. You should end up with a fantastic selection of photos, with many different shapes and sizes of murmuration.
2 Crop to give a sense of scale
To bring a sense of scale to the flock of birds, it is worth experimenting with different crops for your images, to alter the compositional balance of your murmurations against the background. While shooting, try to make sure your lens is zoomed out enough to capture the whole of the flock within the frame –then you can crop into it afterwards.
3 Where to find your murmuration
Check out murmuration websites and groups to see which local nature reserves are close to you. Alot of Facebook groups and wetland centres post daily updates about which birds are roosting. Take a look at www.starlingsintheuk.c
