murmuration

[asakiyume]

The other day I went on a long run in the late afternoon, and at the end, was passing a field, and the starlings were congregating there for the evening, and they did that thing--small groups joining one another, sinking, then lifting, and others joining them, and others, and the setting sun was shining through their wings so they looked golden, while the birds themselves were black, and my heart lifted right up with them.

I use my very old (used to be my daughter's) cellphone as a stopwatch, and it also has a photo function, so I tried to get some pictures, which then I tried to enhance so you could get some hint of what I saw:







It was a brief, wonderful gift, seeing that, being part of that.

Comments

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

Ooh. I thought you were describing it well, but I didn't picture so many birds!

Thank you for sharing all this.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! Have you seen any of the Youtube videos of truly huge gatherings of starlings? This was mini-tiny by comparison, but still breathtaking.

[lifeinroseland.livejournal.com]

I haven't. But I guess the most amazing one is the one you see yourself anyway.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Check out this one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxfvseECDcs&feature=youtu.be)--it's only 2 minutes long and so breathtaking and magical.

ETA to switch to one without the annoying musical backing.

[galestorm.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, murmuration is a wonderful word! It's like watching a cake mix itself in the air, which admittedly makes no sense at all, but ... :D

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I love that analogy! What a great way of putting it--a cake mixing itself in the air.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the uplifting, which my fingers typed as uplighting, as I imagine it was. :D

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It was definitely uplit as well as uplifting--clever fingers you have there, pointing that out ;-)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Don't make them think they are too clever. They might get ideas or put on airs. ;P

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Soooo many birds. :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

So many!

[syomsong.livejournal.com]

Wonderful... what a crowd - migrating. Nature has that healing thing.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It does--I love this line from the poet Matthew Arnold:

there abides a peace of thine,
Man did not make, and cannot mar.

[syomsong.livejournal.com]

beautiful lines.

[pinkroo.livejournal.com]

someday I want a tattoo of a murmuration. I have it drawn out in my mind...

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Oh it would look awesome! I can imagine just such a tattoo.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, we have it here as well, it's just lovely. When there are enough of them, we call it Black Sun. Murmuration is a great word, though, seeing how they're quite noisy. ;)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

And I like "black sun," too. They say that passenger pigeons used to darken the skies as they flew overhead--this is the closest I can get to seeing that.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is so sad with the passenger pigeons. So many and now they are all gone. :(

I keep saying I'll go to the south of Denmark where the really big murmurations can be found in autumn. Some have been composed of over one million starlings, although they break up in groups of no more than 500,000 before settling down for the night. Maybe next year?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

If you do, please please post about it!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Oh, those are lovely. When my yoga studio used to be at the other place, there was a spot along a street surrounded by industrial buildings over which birds would swoop and dive, swarm and swirl. Many times I stopped and listened to Dexter Britain's "The Time to Run" and watched them.

I tried to shoot them on the iPhone, but the sun was always too strong, alas.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I'm just listening to it now--my first time to hear it. It's making my heart rise and my eyes prick. Thank you--I can see, YES, how this goes with them. Beautiful.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

He puts his music out there for free. I make sure to buy the ones I like.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I just bought this one and bought a second copy for Wakanomori.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I wonder if he will like it for running? *g*

(I can actually see the movement, but what I see is the choreography for a ballet.)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

He doesn't run with music, but he sometimes *drives* with music--maybe then.

I can imagine it as a ballet, yes--but truly, it felt perfect for the choreography of those birds. A dance of the air.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yes!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Very cool! It must have been a special moment.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

It was ♥

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Always cool ;o)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Always always ♥

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, thank you so much

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

(((hugs0))

You're welcome

[pameladean]

I love starlings. I've seen one at my window this fall, but no lovely mingling crowds. Thank you.

P.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Very much my pleasure--we can all use some uplifting.

[sovay]

some pictures, which then I tried to enhance so you could get some hint of what I saw

They came out wonderfully! Thank you. That's beautiful.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. If only I could kythe it to everyone.

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this glimpse of the gift - the black birds with wings golden by the sun especially. :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome ♥