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During the winter the resident starlings are augmented by large numbers from northern and eastern Europe. Just after sunset small groups start to congregate near to roosting sites wheeling and diving in rapidly increasing numbers. The shapes and patterns they make are truly spectacular, until eventually some birds pluck up the courage to dive into the trees. There can be many false starts as nerve is lost at the last minute and they sweep up into the sky again.
It is thought that this behaviour is protection against birds of prey that find it highly confusing to pick out a single bird in the maelstrom.