Mesmerizing display: Starling murmuration wows onlookers in Limerick

A STUNNING natural spectacle unfolded in the skies over Fedamore, last weekend as a murmuration of starlings, a breathtaking aerial dance of thousands of birds, took centre stage near Skule Hill.

Well-known former jockey and soccer player Ray Hogan who now works as a firefighter captured the extraordinary sight with his iPhone 14 and DJI Osmo gimbal camera.

He isn’t typically one for bird watching, but a photograph taken by photographer Tony Grehan sparked his curiosity. With a quick message to Mr Grehan, Ray was given the exact location where he could witness the murmuration.

“I’m not really into bird watching,” Ray confessed, “but I do have a hobby with my drone of taking videos of everything and anything in my spare time when I’m not on call with the fire brigade."

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The Rathkeale native arrived at Skule Hill at 5.30pm last Saturday with his wife who Ray said thought he "was gone nuts" because it’s not something he usually does.

Ray continued: "We were there roughly 20 minutes just before darkness fell and were treated to a breathtaking show of just over a half an hour to see what I can only describe as mesmerising stuff. It was absolutely brilliant to witness it."

The murmuration of starlings, often described as one of nature’s most stunning spectacles, is a phenomenon where large groups of birds gather and fly together in intricate patterns. The flocks, sometimes numbering in the thousands, perform synchronised movements that captivate onlookers.