November 21, 2014 Issue

Tis the season of murmuration as tens of thousands of starlings turn the sky black when dusk falls near Gretna Green on the England and Scotland border. Known as one of nature’s most dramatic spectacles, this wheeling, turning and swooping in unison reaches its peak during the autumn and winter months. No one is entirely clear why it happens, but perhaps there is safety in numbers from predators, such as peregrine falcons.