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Unless otherwise stated, this image is the copyright of the submitter. Contact them for permission to reproduce it. |  | | Description | 4 April 2005: like something from "The Birds" huge numbers of starlings swoop around Stonehenge and settle on the stones. Some birds of the crow family (not sure which ones) are busy making their nests in holes in the trilithons. |
| Posted Comments: AngieLake
(2005-04-06) | I love this picture, Jim. Starlings' Annual Convention?? Surprised no one has added a comment. I also noticed lots of starlings there once. They seemed to be 'lording it' over us poor humans, who weren't allowed near the circle. Maybe they get some benefit from the natural emissions of the rocks? ('Supercharged Starlings'?) And what a perfect perch for them! | JimChampion
(2005-04-06) | It added to the interest of the visit, they kept swooping round, sometimes perching on the stones and at other times looking for worms around the henge. There wasn't anything on the audio commentary about them, maybe thats why no one else was looking at them. I was also entertained by the ravens making nests in the holes. Went to Avebury later and the crows were busy there too (in the trees). | AngieLake
(2005-04-06) | Crows seem to be like 'guardians' of these ancient sites. When I visited Tara in 2001 I dowsed a processional route from the 'Banqueting Hall', across the 'Rath of the Synods' to the 'Mound of the Hostages' and on to 'Cormacs House' and the 'Stone of Destiny' (Lia Fail). The low-lying bumps of the 'Rath of the Synods' are quite close to the wall of the churchyard, behind which were a clump of trees full of crows/rooks/ whatever. Eerily, as I began to pick up that area's ritual movements, the flock took off in one big black cloud! It seemed almost as if they were aware that something from the past had been stirred up there. | JimChampion
(2005-06-18) | I've found a reference to these birds in Chris Chippindale's "Stonehenge complete". In his Druid Stonehenge obsession Aubrey wrote that starlings nested in the gaps between the sarsen uprights and lintels, reminding him that the welsh call starlings 'Adar y Drudwy'. Furthermore "The Druids might make these holes purposely for their birds to nest in. They are loquascious Birds and Pliny tells us of a stare that could speak Greeke". The crow family birds that have displaced the starlings from their megalithic nesting place are apparently jackdaws. So now you know. | jackdaw1
(2006-10-27) | Great capture Jim; right place/right time eh! | JimChampion
(2006-10-27) | Thanks. I'm not sure what this photo was doing in the "Cartoons" category - I've moved it now (and a few others) to the right place! |
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