9/11 WTC Tribute In Light Up-Close Showing Birds Trapped in the Lights

I visited the 9/11 Memorial site this evening on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was the first time I had seen the Tribute In Light up-close.

I was amazed to see what at first appeared to be smaller lights twirling around the beams. When I got closer, I realized these weren't additional lights -- or anything artificial, for that matter -- but rather hundreds of birds flying around the arrays of lights.

This movie was shot in front of the parking garage in Battery Park City (just south of Ground Zero) where the Tribute In Light is set-up. I was standing near the entrance to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, looking up with my Canon EOS 5D Mark ii and 24-105 F/4 L.

The following description is from the Web site of the Municipal Art Society, who co-founded the Tribute In Light project:


"Comprising 88 7,000-watt xenon light bulbs positioned into 48-foot squares that echo the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers, Tribute In Light is assembled each year on a rooftop close to the World Trade Center site. The illuminated memorial reaches 4 miles into the sky and is visible from as far as 30 miles away. The two arrays cast the strongest shaft of light ever projected from earth into the night sky."

Apparently, the lights can pose a danger to migrating birds, who are attracted to them and can get "caught" in the beams -- flying around and depleting precious reserves of energy needed for their migration south. The NYC Audubon Society has worked with the Tribute In Light organizers to help mitigate this problem:

[Auriansmule]

It's like... all the souls that were lost that day have returned...

[robotetanus]

So were the sparkless that I was clearly seeing from Brooklyn nothing more than birds in the beams of light? Cause it looked pretty crazy!

[Trevor.Morrice]

@remacno have you never seen american beauty? jeeze

[dolphinsc]

amazing video, the lights take the apperence of a pyramid reaching up high in the night sky, and the white moths flying in and out of the light beams, the flickering, and fading in and out as the light beams reflect off their wings, gives a sense of wonder and mystery.
spectacular footage.

[MeSarcasticjellyfish]

I think that those aren't birds, but souls of the victims dancing in the light, reminding us not to forget

[MrPhillyrick]

@remacno i agree. nothing beautiful about this.

[Danyellington]

If these are orbs, I would freak out. But felt bad for the people who died. But really are they really orbs or some kind of dust?

[snake]

Those are insects....moths most likely.