On the Peak District moors not too far from where I live there's a fantastic gathering of starlings - the setting is really atmospheric and the numbers are increasing this year. I've managed to get up there a few times so far this winter and the light has been really evocative - but heavy cloudy and rather dim, so not ideal for photographing thousands of fast moving birds. However, though its not been the best light for photographing the murmurations, it's so incredibly atmospheric standing on a wild moor being battered by wind and rain whilst thousands of birds fly in, it's really rather wonderful.
It's such an evocative winter thing to be present at - so full of magical sensory experiences with the sounds and feel of the breeze created as the birds pass by as well as the movement and shapes created as they fly. There's something very poignant about being there whilst such a powerful-yet-rare thing happens as thousands of birds come together to form a mass of moving, swirling birds who roost together for protection.
It's a wild and high up spot exposed to the elements - and when I was last there two days ago the light was amazing and the heavy clouds rolled in. The starlings arrived in their thousands - at exactly the same time as the rain! It was wonderful to be out in it, though I'm very aware that's all bound up in my knowing there was a warm home to return to and dry out! The sound of thousands of starlings chattering to each other once they were roosting in the reeds is amazing and hard to describe. I find it really uplifting and inspiring being out in the rawness of the elements like that, surrounded by birds and winter light.