Flock of starlings over Lancashire 'look like hedgehog' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Flock of starlings over Lancashire 'look like hedgehog'

1:19pm Thursday 31st March 2011 in News

A birdwatcher spotted this flock of starlings looking like a hedgehog above the skies in Lancashire.

Neil Bland took this photo of the distinctive ‘murmuration’ of birds at the RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve, Silverdale.

During winter, about 100,000 starlings go to roost overnight in the reeds, and visitors to the reserve have been treated to some jaw-dropping aerial displays as the birds fly around, creating all sorts of shapes.

During spring, the starling flocks break up as the birds head to places to nest.

Many will also return to Europe after visiting for the winter so this could be one of the last murmurations in the UK until September.