Lift off! This was spectacular beyond what I could have imagined. The starling murmuration at the Avalon Marshes in Somerset. Hundreds of thousands of birds departing from their roost on the reed beds. The numbers are hard to comprehend. First the silence - a timid chorus at this time of year - then the starlings start to chatter. Suddenly there is a build up of rumbling bass, like wind hitting the microphone or something about to erupt. Then the waves across the field, like ocean waves in the distance, both visually and sonically. And the lift off. The rumble becomes a satisfying silky carpet enveloping you overhead.

This repeats 3-4 times as different waves of departing starlings take flight. MAGICAL.

I edited 30 seconds at the end from when they've all left, to give perspective, so you can appreciate the decibels such a gathering produces.

Location: Shadwick Heath, Somerset, UK
Date and time: 25 February 2024, 7am
Habitat: Reed beds, Flooded plains

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Starling Murmuration Dawn Lift-Off

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ALLEY275
NOT DEMURE Waving But Drowning / Roost

001 waving but drowning
002 waving but drowning juan buitrago & enzo paradiso remix
003 waving but drowning montw remix
004 roost

/ written and produced by Manuel Rodríguez
/ remix production by Juan Pablo Buitrago, Enzo Proto Paradiso, Stanislav Montw
/ mastering by Cid Inc.

NOT DEMURE Waving But Drowning / Roost

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NOT DEMURE Roost

NOT DEMURE Waving But Drowning (Montw Remix)

NOT DEMURE Waving But Drowning (Juan Buitrago & Enzo Paradiso Remix)

NOT DEMURE Waving But Drowning

I’ve been privileged to witness some extraordinary moments in nature—scenes that leave an indelible mark on the soul.  

Recently, a talented videographer and good friend invited me to Columbia, Missouri, to help document a truly unique event: the spectacle of a red-winged blackbird roost.  

As the sun sank low on the  horizon, over two million blackbirds descended on a grassy field in a breathtaking display. Just before dusk, they began to arrive, perching in bare trees until the branches seemed to sprout black, fluttering leaves. More poured in, forming vast, shifting clouds that darkened the sky.  

By sunset, the enormous flock moved into the reed grasses below, settling in for the night. The sound was overwhelming—a deafening symphony of shrieks and trills that reverberated through the air. It was impossible not to feel awestruck.  

I’ve recorded mass bat exoduses from Texas caves, where they spiral into the night skies, but this was different. The blackbirds’ voices carried an emotional weight, raw and powerful.  

Yet, amid the wonder, I felt a growing unease. In the distance, the sharp, jarring cracks of gunfire broke through the natural symphony. It sounded as though hunters were taking aim at the birds. Though I couldn’t be certain, the timing felt deliberate—shots rang out only as the birds arrived, each night at the same time.  

The scene reminded me of the passenger pigeon, a species that once darkened the skies in unimaginable numbers but was driven to extinction through human greed and carelessness. What compels some people to destroy the beauty that nature gifts us so freely?  

I struggled to fully enjoy the experience, haunted by the thought of birds falling from the sky. This kind of senseless destruction threatens the fragile wonders we have left.  

I often hesitate to share the locations of such spectacles, fearing they could be exploited or harmed by the wrong hands. As a species, we’ve already lost so much of the natural world during my lifetime. The wonders of nature are finite; we have only one chance to protect what remains.  

And so, I leave you with the sounds of these majestic birds—a soundscape that I hope will endure as a living testament to their existence, not a memory of what once was.  

www.thelisteningplanet.com


Blackbird roost in the millions

Binaural recording of the Vancouver crow roost in Burnaby near Still Creek. I've been wanting to witness the roost and record there for a long time! I'm grateful to my friend Kirsten for making it happen. I love crows and every evening I see them flying off to the roost about 30 minutes before sunset depending on the weather. They gather in a few spots before departing. One of my favourite spots to see them depart is by the Coast Guard station near the Burrard Bridge. They go suddenly in big exuberant waves of black flapping and cawing. Their roost is in a very urban area which has been encroached in recent years. I'm told at one time there were an estimated 30,000 crows there, likely the biggest roost in North America. But over the years it has shrunk. I'm not sure how many there are there now...maybe 12 to 15 thousand. It was something to behold, the waves of them coming in and the chatter. When we moved around they were clearly disturbed and would find another tree to perch on. So we stayed still as much as possible and apologized when we had to move. 

Because it's an urban area, you'll hear lots of car and plane traffic. From the research I've done, the crows like the safety of the urban infrastructure. I'm sure it includes annoyances too but I guess it's a good trade off for them.

Recorded on April 1, 2025 from 19:59 to 20:06

Vancouver Crow Roost - April 1 2025 (binaural)

Just a 100% independent $Roost holder and Roost Army member who loves $ROOST. Zero affiliation with Roost on Base. I just like the coin. No investment advice provided anywhere. Do your own research. To learn more about Roost Coin, go to - RoostArmy.com and check out @ RoostCoin on X.

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Hi! I'm Ángel, Sound Artist and Field Recordist. My inspiration is the natural world. I run SoundArk. offering Audio Production and Post-Production services. I'm based in the United Kingdom, and have been lucky to travel the world through my trade.

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angel@soundarkstudios.com
 
#SoundDesign #FilmSoundDesigner
#FieldRecording #WildlifeSound #WildlifeSoundRecording #SoundEffects #AudioPostProduction #LocationAudio #LocationSound #Filmmaking #GameAudio

I am a sound recordist, specialising mainly in nature recording. I have been involved in countless TV documentaries and radio with over 150 feature films to boot. I have recorded in over 40 countries. If you were able to upload all my sounds to an iPod it would play for over 1137.5 days continuously.
Vist the website at www.thelisteningplanet.com take a look at my facebook fan-page for more details. http://tinyurl.com/6czrhqg

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