by Mona S. Svendsen
Member since:
May 22, 2006

Black sun and sun setting - In picture

June 24, 2006 04:35 PM EDT (Updated: October 16, 2006 02:52 PM EDT)
views: 677 | rating: 9.9/10 (32 votes) | comments: 55

By Mona S. Svendsen

A special phenomenon occurs at this time of year as the Starlings flies in huge flocks, this phenomenon is called black sun. As the sun doesn't set until late at night it makes for some spectacular scenery. These pictures were taken last night. They were taken from 9.00 in the evening until 10.30. Hope you enjoy!

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Starling in the trees waiting to fly

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Black sun, starlings flying

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Starlings fly by

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Starlings in the sky

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Sunset

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orange sky

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Red sunset

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Burning sky

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Red sky in the nigth

 

Those were the picture I took last nigth, hope you enjoy.
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Comments: 55

0000-dashiell5-0000 Jun 24, 2006, 5:43pm EDT
Oxymoronic stuff, Mona. Black gold. Dark sun. Bright starlings. Some of your pics look like out-takes from Hitchcock's The Birds. You know, the part where they kept forgetting to land on the monkey bars in the school yard?

Thanks for sharing these.
jessie voigts Jun 24, 2006, 7:56pm EDT
beautiful, mona. i can't even imagine it, the sun setting so late!!

gorgeous photos!
Mike B. Jun 24, 2006, 8:50pm EDT
Lovely photos. I have ones similar to this, so I naturally like your style.
Mariana T. Jun 24, 2006, 9:09pm EDT
hey sistah Mona - wow - omg - these are soooo fabulous - I've been sippin the suds but you know me - I am crazy about anything to do with nature -thank you for sharing so much beauty here....love everything. Salud,
Mona S. Svendsen Jun 25, 2006, 6:41am EDT
Hey KR, Well the scene was no where nearly as scary as The Birds! Trust me on that one, as I am too Chicken to watch scary movies! ;O)
Mona S. Svendsen Jun 25, 2006, 6:45am EDT
Jessie, I know, many people can't sleep due to the brigth summer nigths, but I long for these days as this means that winter has taken a pause. In the winter we have darkness from 3.30 in the afternoon to 8. 30 in the morning. And when the daylight is present, one is stuck at work, ah but such is life! ;O) Thank you for your comment!
Mona S. Svendsen Jun 25, 2006, 6:47am EDT
Mike, just checked out yours, they are beatiful tooo!!! So thank you! You are a conoseur!
Mona S. Svendsen Jun 25, 2006, 6:48am EDT
Gracias Mariana! Natures wonders are incredible!
Salud! Monita
Dolphi D. Jun 25, 2006, 6:50am EDT
A great photographic composition, Mona! The changing colors of the sky are beautiful. What a celestial experience it is to be there in that spectacular scenery and see the starlings fly home at the fall of dusk!
Mona S. Svendsen Jun 25, 2006, 6:56am EDT
Thank you Dolphi D, it was spectacular, I kept having to take out my camera for more shots!
Heather Dichter Jun 25, 2006, 2:38pm EDT
Great photos! I was amazed how late it got in Oslo, and only to be light less than three hours later -- and that was a month ago, before the summer solstice!
Layne Underwood Jun 25, 2006, 9:46pm EDT
Great photos and interesting captions! Thanks for sharing.
Mary M. Alward Jun 27, 2006, 9:51pm EDT
Amazing photos. Thank you for sharing. These are so beautiful.
Mona S. Svendsen Jun 28, 2006, 6:44am EDT
Heather, yes it is amazing, but also invigorating. I quite like the bright summer nights!

Layne! thank you. I glad you liked them!

Mary, I love having someone to share them with!
0000-montanagayguy-0000 Jun 29, 2006, 8:28pm EDT
Fantastic! Nature, the Eternal Painter :-)
vickie A. Jul 31, 2006, 9:27pm EDT
Liked your pictures. We have a similar experience in Napa Valley. These are swallows, and it is usually in the morning. The start circling above a grape field, more and more join then they flow from one direction to another. It looks like a cyclone of birds. When they switch direction they can totally disappear. I think it is because of sun reflection on their wings. Absolutely amazing!
Wendy F. Sep 26, 2006, 1:35am EDT
wow, great pictures . I tried getting a picture of a field full of Canadian geese but couldn't get close enough to get a good shot .
Debbie G. Sep 26, 2006, 9:47pm EDT
Thanks so much for sharing these great pictures from your part of the world. :)
gil asakawa Sep 27, 2006, 4:51pm EDT
Fantastic series. Thanks.
Lisa S. Oct 12, 2006, 9:50am EDT
Wonderful pics Mona - thanks for sharing! We have starlings something horrible here too......when flocks fly over my daughter shrieks "Get out your umbrella!"

Thanks for sharing..........
Jennifer Kirkpatrick Oct 21, 2006, 5:25pm EDT
Fantastic shots, Mona!
Lonnie N. Nov 10, 2006, 2:06pm EST
These captions are very interesting! Great Job Mona!
Spiritguided Woman Nov 25, 2006, 8:41am EST
So incredibly beautiful!!! I am in awe.
Matthew N. Dec 1, 2006, 11:48am EST
Brilliant, I miss this phenomenon. I'm from Eastbourne, on the south coast of England, and we have a large pier where the birds to just this! Unfortunately I'm away at college and have missed it, so these photos really put a smile on my face and made me think of home! Thankyou!
Tonia, who hugs trees G. Dec 14, 2006, 9:33pm EST
These are gorgeous - was watching a flock of blackbirds here in Arkansas the other day and it seemed that they just filled the sky - no doubt the same as the starlings there.
Chad Spacey Jan 1, 2007, 12:31pm EST
wonderful pictures
Dona Tracy Feb 25, 2007, 3:45pm EST
I have always loved those big wheeling flocks of starlings and black-birds. Thank you for capturing them so well.
Jimmy _ Mar 7, 2007, 2:41am EST
Very nice!
Eric (Don't Tread On Me) Spindler Mar 25, 2007, 6:18am EDT
Quite often, while driving on the highway, I'll catch a flock in the distance.
The birds create a dark spot in the sky which 'disappears' when they change thier flight, then 're-appear'.
I have always enjoyed those moments.
Nice work on the photos, I do similar sunrise/sunset shots for myself.
Ms. Meacham: Money Maven Apr 13, 2007, 2:52pm EDT
This was awe inspiring. Thank you so much for capturing this event Mona. We have swallows here in the Pacific Northwest that swarm like this, in and out of an abandoned smoke stack at a nearby elementary school at dusk. Very cool.
queen.susan . May 5, 2007, 10:37am EDT
Incredible that you took these at that time of night! - The photos are amazing.
Stunning colors!
Dawn S. May 15, 2007, 8:44pm EDT
Thank you for sharing those. They are beautiful.
Brandy C. May 21, 2007, 10:09am EDT
Beautiful Photos!!! I love the late evening sky.
David K. May 31, 2007, 2:28pm EDT
Great photos!
Richard L. Jun 1, 2007, 10:50am EDT
Why are sunsets more inspiring than sunrises?
Toni T. Jun 1, 2007, 11:54pm EDT
Your camera captured the beautiful colors of the sky nicely!!! I love the "neon" pink of sunsets. Sometimes I like to just sit on the porch and watch the sun slip behind the horizon. We live near the western edge of the EST (well, EDT right now) and the sun sets quite late, nearly 10 pm by the summer solstice.
Elle W. Jun 28, 2007, 7:20pm EDT
great pics, interesting phenomena
Lucky Stars Jun 28, 2007, 8:21pm EDT
Thanks so much for sharing that Mona. I just love summer nights. The sun sets a bit late here too but not that late. We too are on the western edge of EST so we enjoy more evening sun. Very pretty shots!
Mary M. Jul 29, 2007, 9:19pm EDT
Thanks for sharing these. Beautiful capturing of a magnificent sunset.
M.K. Mueller Aug 13, 2007, 9:28pm EDT
Mona these are beautiful! I love the sunsets at northern latitudes, they last forever!
Sammie B. Aug 24, 2007, 6:57pm EDT
Wow, those pictures are beautiful! I've never heard of that, but it's cool to learn new things. Thanks for sharing!
Charlotte Babb Maven-Fairy Godmother Sep 9, 2007, 9:13pm EDT
Thanks for sharing. We have starlings here too, but later in the year so that they all get in the treess and croak to each other at sunset. These are beautiful photos.
Marci M. Nov 20, 2007, 9:39pm EST
Wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing.
Mona S. Svendsen Nov 25, 2007, 8:15am EST
Hello everyone. This series keeps giving me response. I'm so glad for each comment. So keep them coming!!! THANK YOU!!!
Debby C. Dec 8, 2007, 8:01pm EST
Thank you for a look at the setting sun from your side of the world. It's beautiful. I think however that the weenie up there in the begining was a fraud as I tried to go to his site and now it doesn't exist. I give you a ten for the beauty of it all!
Terry A. Dec 26, 2007, 12:59am EST
great stuff
Cristina S. Feb 8, 2008, 6:53pm EST
These are so beautiful! You must be happy for more sunshine finally coming back now!
Risa G. Feb 13, 2008, 4:32pm EST
Woooow. That is amazing. We also get the Black Sun around here - the starlings migrate and they fly in circles around my neighborhood. They land in my backyard and then in my front and then across the street and keep doing this over and over for awhile each day. It is fun to watch. My parakeets go nuts when they see the shadows from the flying birds over our house. Cool shots!
Deborah O. May 12, 2008, 3:44pm EDT
Great job of contrasts
Andrea P. May 21, 2008, 9:50am EDT
Those pictures of the sky don't even look real! Wow.
marzieh e. May 23, 2008, 3:30am EDT
great photos thanks for sharing
Gordon P. Jun 2, 2008, 1:19pm EDT
Great Set Of Pictures, Thanks for sharing
Erica Hidvegi Jun 17, 2008, 2:51pm EDT
"The burning sky" reminds me of one of the scenes in Red Dawn with Patrick Swayze as he looks out to the valleys and hills and sees 'peace' on the horizon. Beautiful !
How Do We Build?sharing the light,
Mary Standard Aug 29, 2008, 4:07pm EDT
I loved the pictures. The birds were great and the sunsets were fantastic!
Mary Standard
~*~Nina~*~ R. Oct 21, 2008, 1:34pm EDT
Magnificent! The photos are beautiful!

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