James Crombie, an award-winning sports photographer from Ireland, found himself at a career crossroads during the COVID-19 pandemic. With major sporting events canceled, Crombie, who had covered three Olympic Games and specialized in rugby and hurling, suddenly had an unexpected amount of free time. It was during this period that a grieving friend suggested they visit a nearby lake to witness the mesmerizing display of starlings in flight, known as murmurations. Crombie, who admitted he knew “very, very little” about starlings before this, brought his camera along, a decision that would change the course of his life and career.
The first evening at Lough Ennell in County Westmeath, Ireland, Crombie and his friend saw around 100 starlings take to the sky before roosting at dusk. Over the next few weeks, they returned to the lake nearly every night, experimenting with different vantage points and learning the patterns of the birds. What began as a distraction for his friend became an obsession for Crombie. He compared the challenge of capturing the perfect starling photograph to his work in sports photography, where split-second timing and high-speed equipment were essential. “You get one split second,” he said. The routine of photographing the murmurations not only provided therapy for his friend but also became a source of deep fascination for Crombie, who soon found himself captivated by the beauty and complexity of these birds.
As Crombie delved deeper into the world of starlings, he began to notice something extraordinary. The birds, when flying in murmurations, formed intricate patterns and abstract shapes that reminded him of the subtle gradations of paint strokes. He became convinced that, with enough patience, he could capture a recognizable shape within these formations. It wasn’t until after more than a month of dedicated effort that he finally achieved his goal. One evening, he snapped a perfectly timed image in which the murmuration resembled the leafy crown of a bare-branched tree on the lakeshore. “I thought that was the shot,” he recalled, but little did he know that an even more remarkable moment was just on the horizon.
That moment arrived around the 50th night of their visits to the lake. Crombie’s friend captured a video of the precise moment when thousands of starlings fleetingly formed the shape of a curved, winged bird, its reflection visible in the water below. The photographer, who had been firing off rapid sequences of shots, managed to capture over 60 images in that fleeting instant. Among them was one that stood out—an image so striking that it would go on to define his new passion. “I knew, once I clicked it, that I had it,” Crombie said, recalling how he immediately backed up the photo and shared it with a few close contacts. The image quickly went viral, appearing in magazines, on the front page of the Irish Times, and even on a bank’s annual report, a cafe mural in Australia, and the shutter doors of a Norwegian building.
The viral success of the photograph marked a turning point in Crombie’s career. While it brought him widespread recognition and opportunities, it also deepened his commitment to wildlife photography. Over the next four years, he returned to Lough Ennell night after night, capturing an estimated half a million photos. His friend, who had initially accompanied him during the pandemic, eventually returned to his normal life once COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Crombie, however, continued his work, befriending a local farmer who joined him on his nightly outings. His dedication resulted in “Murmurations,” a book that combines the breathtaking formations of the starlings with close-ups and scenic shots of Lough Ennell. Despite his return to professional sports photography, Crombie hopes to one day dedicate himself full-time to wildlife photography, a passion that has brought him immense joy and fulfillment.
In reflecting on his journey, Crombie acknowledged that his newfound obsession with starlings had become an “addiction,” one that he couldn’t shake even after the publication of his book. “I’m still going, even though I promised my wife that, once the book was published, the project was finished,” he admitted. For Crombie, the time spent at Lough Ennell was more than just a hobby—it was a therapeutic escape, a creative outlet, and a reminder of the beauty and wonder that can emerge from unexpected places. “There could be a lot worse ways to spend two hours in the evening,” he said with a smile. His story is a testament to the power of curiosity and the incredible things that can happen when we step outside our comfort zones and embrace the unknown. “Murmurations,” published by The Lilliput Press, is now available for those who wish to experience the magic of these starling formations through Crombie’s lens.
