n the dusk hours of a November evening in 2020, James Crombie set outfor the shore of Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath with no goal except to find abrief reprieve from the chaos of modern life. One of Ireland's most laudedsports photographers, Crombie had spent months each year travelling the globe,snapping glimpses of sporting glory amid roaring crowds.
Once the pandemicarrived however, he found himself suspended in an unfamiliar moment ofstillness, where his focus could roam beyond the pitch. When a close friendcame to him in a moment of grief, the pair made for the lake.WhatCrombie found on the shore that evening - an undulating murmuration ofstarlings, dancing above the surface of the water - would change his lifeforever.Desperateto capture the beauty of the murmurations, and to better understand thisphenomenon and the surroundings of the lake itself, Crombie began a four-yearjourney, travelling to lake shore for over 100 days per year. In his effortsto capture the formations of the magical birds, Crombie managed to chart thestunning natural cycles of the lake and the surrounding countryside.Anincredible combination of narrative and photography, this is a book about oneman's quest to capture the beauty of an Irish natural phenomenon, and abouthow our local environments harbour a wealth of beauty and complexity, if onlywe're able to look closely enough.Thebook also features an introduction by pioneering ornithologist Sean Ronayne.
