Around 100 people gathered at the Albert Bridge in Belfast on Saturday as the latest murmuration of starlings in the city made an appearance.
Thousands of starlings have returned to the skies above the city in the last year following work by conservationists to minimise light pollution in the area.
Saturday’s event, organised by conservation group Wild Belfast, celebrated one the greatest natural wonders on display in the city.
Following successful lobbying to mitigate the impact of the new lighting, thousands of starlings are once again soaring above east Belfast and the River Lagan.
Wild Belfast founder Conor McKinney said the starling murmurations have now stabilised after being reduced to dozens before action was taken.
“People have a real connection with the starlings here and the amount of people that turned up on Saturday and that were interested in it reflects that.
“We nearly lost them due to the increased light pollution caused by a number of developments in the area, but we undertook a lot of work in the city to reverse that.
“Planning doesn’t need to be inconsiderate of the wildlife, we don’t need to accept natural degradation and we will make sure starlings are able to thrive here once again.”
