Starlings perform a spectacular murmuration in Gretna Green

These astonishing photographs show hundreds of thousands of starlings swarming over one of the most romantic beauty spots in the UK. The clouds of starlings - known as a ‘murmuration’ - flocked over Gretna Green, Dumfries and Galloway, where couples often elope to get married. Breathtaking video footage shows the ebb and flow of the starlings dipping and flying in formation during a gathering. The mesmerising sight occurs annually, in November and February, as the birds gather in preparation for roosting overnight. Starlings are one of the most common garden birds in the UK but it is declining elsewhere, making it a red-listed species.