Thousands of the birds have arrived to roost in the village near Gretna, Scotland, with the sheer weight of numbers causing disruption. Power supplies in the village have been affected by the number of birds perching on electricity cables. Starlings are among the most common of garden birds, and can be spotted in the Borders in “murmurations” throughout the Autumn period.

Photos: A murmuration of starlings above the the small village of Rigg, near Gretna, in the Scottish Borders, on November 25, 2013. The weight of the resting birds on power lines caused some power localised power outages in the village. Still one of the commonest of garden birds, its decline elsewhere puts it on the Red List of endangered species. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)