The Starling

I cannot rate this book highly enough. I absolutely love it. I had so wanted a good book and I ordered it immediately after reading the write up about it in The Guardian. This book is a work of art from the dustcover to the illustrations throughout, the quotes, the wonderful poetry and most importan…

I cannot rate this book highly enough. I absolutely love it. I had so wanted a good book and I ordered it immediately after reading the write up about it in The Guardian. This book is a work of art from the dustcover to the illustrations throughout, the quotes, the wonderful poetry and most importantly the research, wealth of knowledge and information about the subject matter notwithstanding the mode of storytelling. I once saw a murmuration of starlings early one evening when driving in France. It was an awesome sight and fascinating to watch how these birds fly and flow together in harmony in their hundreds or thousands as if one body. How so many of these creatures are able to synchronise their movement with such perfection is surely one of the wonders of this world. This book is so informative and educational about these beautiful birds, in days gone by once considered a pest as I well remember. And still are in some places. These birds have a lot to teach us humans about working together for the benefit of all as is spelled out so succinctly in the book. In fact they have taught us a thing or two about driving apparently as Stephen Moss describes. Wonderful. This book captured my imagination and interest from the start. I couldn’t put it down. As is noted in the book, seven is a significant number in regard to these birds and I have a group of seven starlings that nests nearby and feed their young in my garden. I am sure they remember me because just before they migrated many of them congregate on my roof and surrounding roofs as if saying goodbye and letting me know they would be returning. Which surely they have, for one morning a couple of weeks ago or so I heard a chattering and high pitched squeals, looked outside to see them all there on the rooftops. As if to let me know that they were back again. A wonderful book by Stephen Moss. One I shall treasure and along with a few select others which I can’t let go of it will definitely be a keeper. I highly recommend it.