50/365 – And others. Starlings, sunset and photo’s from our wander around Blackpool.

Starlings over North Pier in Blackpool at sunset.

There is just nothing quite as spectacular as watching the Starlings roosting at sunset. In a photograph it is impossible to get a real sense of what it is like. You cannot see the sheer amount of birds unless you witness them for yourself, there are thousands of them.

It really is magical to watch and the display lasts for about 15 minutes. They dance, swoop and swirl in clouds. Like moving ink spots the sky, twisting and turning in tune with one another. Eventually little by little they head underneath the pier for the night.

If you can find out where there are Starlings roosting where you live I urge you to go at sunset and watch this amazing display of beauty.

Today we went into town to watch the birds, but as we wandered around of course I took some other photographs, it is a given, so here they are.

An explosion of starlings over North Pier

Sunset over North Pier in Blackpool

Sun lamp

I just love the expression on the woman’s face in the crowd. What ever has shocked her has clearly delighted the lecherous photographer to her left.

This was advertised as a spectacular flight over Blackpool on a flying carpet. I think it would have worked better with about 8 people holding it up and legging it around town with a kid on it. We were not overly impressed. Nice artwork though.

I just really want this bookcase in my house!

Just another day in Blackpool. A man riding a piano whilst playing it, singing and looking like he hated the world.

If anything captures my son’s personality it is this photograph.

Hello? Is that childline? Mummy keeps tagging me in photographs on Facebook.

backstreet

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Tags: Beach, birds, blackpool, blog, blogging, camera, challenge, children, creative, daughter, elbow, learning, lifestyle, nature, Nikon D3000, North Pier, photo, photograph, photography, photos, pictures, postaday, Sea, Silhouette, son, Starlings, Sun, sunset

18 thoughts on “50/365 – And others. Starlings, sunset and photo’s from our wander around Blackpool.”

djmatticus on February 20, 2013 at 4:09 pm said:

Explosion of starlings indeed. I’m glad the music to Hitchcocks’s The Birds wasn’t accompanying that photo or I might have had trouble falling asleep tonight.

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- Jo on February 20, 2013 at 6:48 pm said:
  
  I was on that pier the other night quite late with just two other people and you should have heard the noise from under the pier from them!
  
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  - djmatticus on February 20, 2013 at 6:52 pm said:
    
    Yeah… creepy. Birds. Creep. Me. Out. Especially when there are a lot of them. I wonder if I can attribute that to having watched the movie at too young of an age (sort of like Jaws and sharks)? Or, if their beady little eyes and pointy beaks and tendency to “flock” would have freaked me out anyway?
  - Jo on February 20, 2013 at 7:02 pm said:
    
    I still remember watching birds, freaked me right out! I have had no choice to get used to it, there are a lot of big birds around here.
  - djmatticus on February 20, 2013 at 7:14 pm said:
    
    We’ve got seagulls and pelicans and other such water going birds by my house – luckily they don’t like to congregate as much as other birds. It’s really ravens and crows that creep me out the most. I mean, it’s called murder of crows for a reason, right?
  - Jo on February 20, 2013 at 7:30 pm said:
    
    lol yep! Crows are horrible things. Wish we had pelicans!
  - djmatticus on February 20, 2013 at 7:49 pm said:
    
    I’d send you some, but I don’t think they’d want to leave. Ventura vs. Blackpool….?
  - Jo on February 20, 2013 at 7:50 pm said:
    
    HA yes as much as I love where I live I know that I would be flying back with em!
  - djmatticus on February 20, 2013 at 8:07 pm said:
    
    Come on over. Though, if you wait a couple months you’ll get to see the CA coast at it’s best – spring, with everything green and the multi-colored flowers blooming. Plus, the kiddo will be here too…
  - Jo on February 20, 2013 at 8:11 pm said:
    
    When is your lovely wife due Matt? I wish I could, I would be there like a shot ha! Oh I am really looking forward to your posts when you become a daddy. That changes everything
  - djmatticus on February 20, 2013 at 8:31 pm said:
    
    I’ve heard that… about the changing everything. Not sure I believe it. Just kidding! Yeah, I’m excited, and hopefully I won’t over due the gushing parent posts. Kiddo is supposed to be here around Easter… getting close now.
wisejourney on February 20, 2013 at 5:35 pm said:

Your pictures are Lways so lovely

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- Jo on February 20, 2013 at 6:49 pm said:
  
  Aw thank you very much for your lovely comment.
  
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Steve on February 20, 2013 at 6:04 pm said:

really nice sunset pics, what settings did you use? mine come out too dark

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- Jo on February 20, 2013 at 6:45 pm said:
  
  The trick is to ramp up the ISO Steve, I had iso on 800 for these, think the other settings were F/10 and exposure 1/400. Having the ISO so high can introduce a bit of noise but I usually remove as much of that without reducing quality as I can post process. Also, because I shoot in Raw I have to process them in Camera Raw and it so if they are under or over exposed or the white balance is off it is easy to bring it back to how it was when shot. These ones were ok but I clicked on a grey area in the photograph afterwards to warm the white balance up to how it should have been which was a little warmer.
  
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mpejovic on February 21, 2013 at 11:08 pm said:

Those shots of the starlings and the sunset are beautiful!

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- Jo on February 21, 2013 at 11:32 pm said:
  
  Aw thank you! I am hoping to catch up with my reader tomorrow on all other blogs. Children have sleepovers tonight so busy day/evening lol x
  
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