As the nights draw in, now is the time to turn your face to the sky at dusk to witness an amazing starling show.
There is a crepuscular drama that unfolds in locations across East Devon; a natural wonder played out by British wildlife that can be watched in the heart of Exeter, as easily as on the most remote estuary.
Starlings, thousands of them, roost in massive flocks in the winter, their numbers bolstered by migrating birds from the near continent.
In fact, it is highly unlikely that any of the birds you see filling roosts at Middlemoor, Seaton or Topsham will have been feeding in your garden this summer.
During the day the birds disperse across a huge area, but thousands meet at the roost site at the same moment at dusk to swarm in vast numbers.
The reason why they all meet like this and put on such a display before settling, is that each bird is very vulnerable to attack from birds of prey as they fly into the roost.
By flocking in huge numbers the starling protect themselves with the safety in numbers principal.
For a really good view, venture down to the Colyford Common Local Nature Reserves viewing platform about an hour before last light, and look towards the reed beds on the far side of the estuary.
You may see a few individual birds making an early dash for the sanctuary of the reeds, but be patient and the real show will get underway as the masses congregate.
Small flocks appear on the horizon, and join with other smaller flocks of starlings, these meld with larger flocks and so on, until a super flock is formed that wheels and contorts in the sky above the reeds.
The huge number of birds move as one above the reeds and if a peregrine falcon makes an appearance you may be lucky enough to see it diving through the flock like a seal through a shoal of herring.
The flock will move over the reed bed at height, and a small funnel of birds will drop out of the bottom and into the reeds gradually reducing the flock until, almost an hour later, a tiny speck is left flying and the reed beds resonates with the noise of thousands of starlings, sounding like the distant rumble of a motorway!
Make sure you wrap up warm if you venture out, as evenings on the estuary can be extremely cold on the estuary, and you will be very disappointed to have to leave this particular theatre half way through the performance.
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