The “birds” series was taken from right outside my back and front doors as the birds frantically worked on getting settled for the night. By themselves, in pairs or groups they came rushing low over the rooftops of suburbia heading for one of three or four trees they deemed suitable to roost in for the night.

The action all took place in the very few minutes immediately after sunset, when there was still some evening gloaming light available. Over each of several evenings I waited with a telephoto lens for the birds to start to gather, and each evening I had about 10 minutes of shooting available to me. The images also only really work before the trees get their spring leaves and growth, so the shots are only available for a few short weeks at the end of winter/beginning of spring.

“birds” is a series about fear, the need to find a safe place and the encroaching darkness. While on the one hand we seem to celebrate flight as a symbol of freedom, flight is also a reaction humans (and many other animals) have to danger. The concept of safety in numbers is really an exercise in risk reduction. The more of you in the group, the lower the probability that it will be you that is eaten. That the avian version of this I observe with my camera takes place in suburbia is somewhat ironic, as we all flee to our homes every evening, seeking solace in the numbers of suburbia.

The images can stand alone, or work as triptychs along any of the 8 axis available, or as a nonatych (9 images in a square, as displayed).