Shoppers were stunned when they spotted this incredible black cloud sweeping across the dusk sky – which turned out to be hundreds of murmurating starlings.
Engineer David Atkinson, 52, captured the phenomenon, known as a ‘murmuration’ on his camera phone as he left a branch of Asda in Leamington Spa, Warks., on Wednesday evening.
Throughout the autumn and winter months, hundreds of thousands of starlings turn the sky black around the UK.
The birds come together in huge clouds, wheeling, turning and swooping in unison.
David, from Leamington Spa, said: “It was an eerie sight, these huge swathes of black just seemed to come and go every few seconds.
“When I looked back at the video I could see what was a bird of prey coming in from the right of them so they obviously stuck together for safety reasons.
“It was one of the most amazing sights I’ve ever seen.”
