Winter skies & starling murmurations. A Season of Movement and Survival.
- Eimear
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
Last month was the wettest January here in Ireland in over 150 years, with heavy rain and persistent cloud cover keeping skies low and grey. Many evenings that might have held murmuration magic were washed away in wind and rain.
Now, as we step into February, there’s a quiet sense of hope. The days are slowly stretching, the light is beginning to return, with it the chance of clearer, calmer evenings. 🤞🏼If the skies lift, the starlings will gather again and those fleeting moments of movement and wonder may finally reveal themselves.
There are moments in nature that feel almost unreal, like the breathtaking spectacle of starling murmurations. For artists and nature lovers alike, this is a magical time to look up at the sky. A starling murmuration is one of nature’s most extraordinary shared movements, thousands of birds crossing the sky, a living cloud of protection and communication. The flock moves as one because each bird responds to the movement of nearby birds, creating ripples through the whole group while flying at speeds of around 32 km/h. These displays usually happen just before the starlings settle into their roosts for the night. Scientists think murmurations help protect starlings from predators and conserve warmth during colder months.
Murmuration season is now drawing to a close, as winter begins to loosen its grip and the birds prepare for spring. This means that the coming weeks will be the last chance of the season to witness these extraordinary evening gatherings until next winter.
Best Places in Ireland to See Starling Murmurations
Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath
Lough Derg
Timoleague, West Cork
Albert Bridge,Belfast
Use this mumuration map to find your closest murmuration spot in Ireland.
Winter wildlife in Ireland offers a very different kind of inspiration than summer. Colours are quieter, light is softer, and movement feels more intense because it stands out against stillness.
Murmurations Painting Movement.
When watching a murmuration, it helps to stop thinking of individual birds and start thinking in shapes and energy.
Try:
sketching the edges of the flock
mapping the densest areas vs thinnest areas
focus on the direction of flow
A murmuration are fluid like:
Smoke
Water currents
Ink spreading in water
Art ideas to explore:
Charcoal or ink for movement and contrast
Layered watercolour washes to show depth and transparency
Negative space drawings where the sky becomes the subject
Abstract interpretations using simple repeated marks or dots
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