圖文閱讀:英國：百萬鳥起飛 一大奇觀

The Scottish border town of Gretna Green has an influx of visitors, and not just the human seems locals and tourists alike just can't get enough of watching millions of starlings converge on the sky on sunset as the birds search for a safe place to roost.

Hundreds of spectators have been treated to the amazing sunset display, which has left them mesmerised by the huge flock's sweeping aerial acrobatics.

Dozens of people watch in awe as millions of starlings return to roost at dusk near the Scottish border town of Gretna Green
Drivers on the A74M, the main motorway between England and Scotland, have been stopping in their droves to witness the sight.
But the shear mass of birds is causing a distraction to commuters and truck drivers who are urged to take extra care when pulling over and parking to watch the display.

And while it may look like the birds are on a kamikazi mission, the logic behind their aerial acrobatics makes much more sense.
Every winter, the birds take to the skies after a long day spent feeding in nearby reed beds.
As they take flight during the last minutes of daylight, the starlings fly quick and fast in a bid to confuse waiting predators such as sparrowhawks and buzzards.

The swirl of starlings was clearly visible in the early evening sky

The sheer number of starlings appears to turn the sky black

The tiny birds must converge, fly and squawk, in an attempt to confuse their predators, reaching speeds of more than 20mph, with few if any crashes.

Scientists say the secret behind their amazing spatial awareness is that each starling tracks seven other birds enabling the group's cohesion.

The naturally occurring event is a spectacle which takes place only during the winter months.

A farmhouse can just be seen in the distance

The spectacular winter sight has mesmerised nature lovers

Starling numbers have halved in the last 25 years and they are now red-listed as an endangered species.

Experts say the starlings are a mix of British and European birds and will leave for Russia in February and March.
Nature lover Jon Tait, 34, said: 'It's amazing to see the natural world like this. The shapes and movements they make are beautiful - Hollywood special effects couldn't make it more breathtaking.

'Whenever I get the train I have to dive undercover at the station when they come because they leave a bit of a mess, but it's worth it to see them in the sky.

The starlings put on a performance every night as they come to roost in the area before leaving for Russia

蘇格蘭邊境小鎮格里特納格林迎來大批“訪客”，只不過它們不是人類。數百萬只星椋鳥聚集在格里特納格林鎮的上空，尋找安全的棲息之地，在夕陽西下的映襯下顯得格外顯眼，令當地人和遊客們目不暇接。

數百名觀衆目睹了這一黃昏奇景，大羣星椋鳥變戲法的奇特飛行讓他們看呆了。爲了觀看這一絕美景觀，駕車行駛在英格蘭和蘇格蘭之間的A74M主路上的人們不由地停下來。但是，霧般的這些鳥兒也給上班族和卡車司機帶來麻煩，他們被要求停靠路邊格外小心。

這些鳥兒看起來象在執行“神風”任務，它們的飛行邏輯使得隊形妙不可言。每年冬天，星椋鳥會在附近的蘆葦蕩中覓食，一天活動之後，它們就會飛上天空。結伴飛行在夕陽的餘暉中，在領頭鳥的帶領下快速而聚集飛行，以迷惑食雀鷹和禿鷹之類伺機等候的捕食者。

爲了迷惑它們的天敵，這些小鳥一定是聚集一起，盤旋飛行，併發出叫聲。它們的飛行速度超過每小時20英里，而且，很少發生碰撞。科學家稱，星椋鳥令人驚訝的空間意識的祕密是爲了保證聚集一起，每隻鳥跟蹤另外7只鳥。這種自然奇觀只發生在冬天的幾個月內。