Hidden Connections - Past and Present
Have you ever seen a starling murmuration? It’s a wonderful sight even on TV or social media but if you get the chance to see one ‘in the flesh,’ go for it. There is a starling murmuration map that gets updated every winter as sightings come in, so you may be able to find a good location nearby by visiting the Starlings in the UK website.
One of the themes I wanted to explore in my timeslip medieval mystery novel, ‘The Twelfth Cross,’ (coming soon) was the continuity of history – the things we have in common with our ancestors, the timeless aspects of the human condition. Our interaction with the natural environment is something that links us to our forebears.
Drawing on personal experience, I decided to weave a starling murmuration into a travelling scene in the story:-
‘…the sky over their heads darkened with birds and the shushing of a thousand wing beats.
“What the hell?” squealed Natalie instinctively ducking and cowering.
“Chill, Nats, they’re just starlings,” said Ed. The entire royal procession faltered and fell quiet as the birds streamed over their heads towards the marshes. And as they watched, the vast and still-growing flock coalesced and began wheeling and arcing en masse, undulating like waves in a restless aerial ocean.
“Whoa! It’s like a dance! How do they do that?” said Natalie.
“I’ve no idea. Awesome, isn’t it?” Daniel said. “I think it’s called a murmuration; a form of self-defence to confuse predators. I’ve seen it on television but never in real life.”
“Look! Is that an eagle?” said Ed. They followed Ed’s finger pointing towards an elegant, long-winged bird of prey soaring on the fringes of the murmuration, its russet wings backlit by the dying sun.
“A marsh harrier, maybe?” said Daniel. Up and down the royal cortege, king and bishop, lords and servants stood in silent awe, as the gigantic flock of birds spiralled and flowed, painting shadow pictures in the sky, until abruptly they descended and vanished into the reedbed. A collective sigh issued from the onlookers. Gradually movement and sound began again along the royal train, though for long minutes everyone spoke softly and moved reverently, as if in church.’
