It's a sight to make the spirits soar...

Thousands of starlings gathered above Stockton ’s Portrack Marsh for a spectacular aerial display before bedding down for the night - and Steve Ashton, of Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, was on hand to film it.

Steve, the trust’s people and wildlife manager, had just attended a meeting and, with dusk under way, he knew there was a chance of a starling murmuration - where the birds form a stunning acrobatic mass before roosting.

And Steve, who shot the footage near the Talpore pub at the Tees Barrage just before 5pm last night , says it was a thrilling sight.

“Dusk is about the best time to see a murmuration. That’s when they get together before roosting for the night.

“First you get a small group, then different groups join them from different directions until you get a fully blown murmuration - and last night’s was impressive.

“But then, at about twenty to five, it just went quiet again as they all bedded down for the night in the reed beds.”

Steve, who shared the footage on the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust’s Facebook and YouTube pages, said places like Portrack Marsh are a good place to see a murmuration at this time of year.

He said: “The reed beds are a safe place for the starlings to roost because they are above the water and predators like foxes wouldn’t be able to get to them. That’s why it’s a good place to see a murmuration, because of the habitat. And now’s the right time of year because come the spring, they start thinking more about breeding and aren’t usually seen in such big groups.”

But as for how many starlings were involved last night, Steve admit’s it’s anyone’s guess.

He added: “Up to 100,000 birds have been seen taking part in these magnificent aerial displays - there was a sighting near Liverpool, for example. But murmurations commonly involve around 40,000 birds, although they can be as small as 200 birds.”