More than 80 people braved a distinctly grey and windy January afternoon to watch the inspiring sight of 10s of thousands of starlings coming in to their winter roost in the conifer plantation adjacent to Llandegley Rhos Common.

As well as people from the local area, many had travelled some distances, from Rhayader, Presteigne, Shrewbury, Church Stretton, Kington, Clyro and Ross-on-Wye to experience this starling display at the end of January, at the site of a proposed wind farm development.

Amidst an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation, groups of people of all ages made their way along the public bye-way across the common and waited patiently for the starlings to arrive. Some 20 or so bird watchers also crossed the River Edw and made their way up onto Blaen Bank for a better bird’s eye view of the roost.

And the starlings did not disappoint. They started to arrive at 4.25pm and continued to come in from all quarters - north, south, east and west - for another 25 minutes.

RSPB member Lynden Rees-Roberts said: "Depending on where you were standing, as the frequency of the flocks increased, you found yourself turning like a weather cock, to keep up, as thousands of birds streamed and swirled in across the common and over the pine trees creating beautiful, mesmerising murmurations in the winter sky. By five o' clock we had lost the light, although a few late arrivals were still flying in, but it was time for us to leave and seek our own roosts for the night, happy that we had shared one of nature’s winter wonders and probably experienced the largest gathering of starlings in Mid Wales."