It's knot what you'd expect

Aerobatic display by red knots

- with STUART WINTER

Murmuration is such a lacklustre word to describe nature's ultimate son et lumiere.

Surely there are better ways to extol the dramatic sound and light shows performed by birds on the wing than thinking of them as mere whispers in the sky.

Adjectives and nouns came to mind thick and fast recently while watching avian squadrons escaping the tidal rush across muddy feeding grounds.

The RSPB's Norfolk reserve at Snettisham has achieved legendary status with its grandstand views of mudlarking waders feasting on the seafood riches of the Wash.