FOR the past few weeks a sky-high spectacle has been drawing crowds to the northern end of Skipton.

See video here.

Each night a murmuration of starlings has provided a mesmerising aerial display of grace and agility with dozens of people standing in Coach Street Car Park and on the bridge to watch it.

Brett Butler, from the Boat House Bar, in the canal basin, said the bar had a front row seat each night.

“It has been amazing to see and has brought in so many extra customers in comparison to last year.

“The other night there must have been 20 to 30 people with full-on DSLR cameras to get photographs as well as customers with phones.

“A friend said this sort of thing has not happened over Skipton since the ‘80s. It has been fascinating to watch and the recent weather has been great to watch it.”

The RSPB said the spectacle is more than just showing off their flying technique.

“A note on the website says: “It’s basically a mass aerial stunt - thousands of birds all swooping and diving in unison. It’s completely breathtaking to witness.

“We think that starlings do it for many reasons. Grouping together offers safety in numbers – predators such as peregrine falcons find it hard to target one bird in the middle of a hypnotising flock of thousands.

“They also gather to keep warm at night and to exchange information, such as good feeding areas. A roost can swell to around 100,000 in some areas.”

The Wildlife Trusts said: “During the winter months, large numbers of starlings visit Britain from the continent, seeking out the relative warmth of our island climate.

“As dusk arrives, the starlings set off for their communal roost in one of the most staggering natural spectacles of all.”