WATCH: Sean captures one of the wonders of nature in Limerick

IT HAS been getting darker even earlier in Coonagh the last couple of nights as tens of thousands of starlings flocked together to block the remaining sunlight.

Keen photographer, videographer and naturalist Sean Ryan captured a murmuration of starlings on Friday and Saturday evenings at dusk.

Sean used his trusty iPhone to video the spellbinding dance in the sky at the Coonagh end of Westfields Wetlands.

"I had a grandstand view. They were right overhead me. I've never seen so many down there near Coonagh. I can 
remember David Attenborough talking about magnetic fields in relation to starlings," said Sean, who resides on the Ennis Road.

Upwards of 100,000 starlings perform their dazzling aerial display in perfect unison. They never crash into each other. It is not known why starlings perform this dance in the sky. Some experts claim it is a show of strength - safety in numbers.

Birdwatch Ireland contacted Sean to say it is the first proper murmuration they have heard of this winter.

Sean then made a superb video set to music.

However, he warns fellow nature lovers who might want to see this display that the location is "fraught with danger".

"It's getting dark and down the riverbank it is very muddy. You could very easily twist an ankle. It’s for the experienced who know the terrain. The last thing we need is for a rescue helicopter to have to be called. There are also bulls down there!" said Sean.