Nibelungen

Quite often the murmurations of starlings were almost like a rotating storm, resembling the scenes I witness during storm chasing in the USA. The hundreds of thousands of birds were almost always a poetic choreography in the sky.

I photographed this bird spectacle during the winter months in Friesland a northern province of the Netherlands. Every night the starlings roosted in the same area. At the end of the day towards dusk they gathered near their sleeping place forming huge clouds of little birds. At times there were peregrine falcons around. As a response the huge flock started to dance in beautiful shapes often resembling animal figures.

It’s incredible that they don’t collide with each other. There is no leader in the group and every starling checks its direct neighbors in flight. When the birds come too close to each other they all deviate to the right, preventing accidents.

The dancing starlings reminded me of a classic concert with everchanging melodies. The romantic  “Ring des Nibelungen” by Wagner inspired me for the title of this series. This opera at times as bombastic and intense as a storm fits the series well.

Con Forza

Dawil

Hadari

Vihar

Walküre

Vivace

Tempesta

Arashi

Vigorozo

Volante

Agile