Evening

At sunset, a lone black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is feeding in the sea west of Greenland. This small gull is described on the page Animals – Birds: Gulls, terns and skimmers. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

In the evening, electric bulbs are illuminating graves in the cemetery of Roccella Valdemone, Sicily. Other pictures from this graveyard are shown on the page Culture: Graves. (Photos copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

It is the evening of the day.

I sit and watch the children play.

Smiling faces I can see,

But not for me.

I sit and watch,

As tears go by.

From the song As Tears Go By (1964), written by Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (both born 1943). As the story goes, their manager Andrew Loog Oldham (born 1944) locked them in a kitchen in order to force them to write a song together. Initially, the last line of the verse above was As time goes by, but Oldham insisted that it should be replaced by As tears go by, which greatly improved the poem.

Marianne Faithfull (born 1946) recorded and released the song as a single in 1964, and it became a huge succes. Later, the Rolling Stones recorded their own version.

Vorsø is a small nature reserve in Horsens Fjord, Denmark, which has been largely untouched by Man since 1928. This interesting reserve is described in depth on the page Nature Reserve Vorsø.

Alpenglow (from German Alpenglühen) is an optical phenomenon, which occurs at sunrise and sunset, when the scattered light from the sun, situated just below the horizon, lights up mountain sides and snow patches, while the foreground is in darkness.

Feeding black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) in evening light, near Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. This bird is described on several pages on this website, including Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

On the northern coast of the small island of Fur, northern Jutland, Denmark, are cliffs, up to 30 m high, with layers of so-called mo clay, or diatomite, a nearly white, compact sort of clay, consisting of diatom-shells, with a large number of ash layers in between. Some of the layers are vertical, others are folded. In the layers are blocks of limestone, which are very rich in well-preserved fossils.

Sunset behind Iron Age standing stones, Stammershalle, Bornholm, Denmark. Standing stones and other types of megaliths are described on the page Culture: Megaliths. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

The felucca is a small type of sailboat, which originated in the eastern Mediterranean. Today, it is especially common on the Nile River. This picture shows feluccas at sunset, Luxor. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

The nodding thistle (Carduus nutans), also known as musk thistle, may grow to 2.5 m tall. This impressive plant is distributed from the entire Europe eastwards to eastern Siberia, southwards to the Mediterranean, Iran, Xinjiang, and Mongolia. It has become naturalized in North America and Australia, where it is considered a noxious weed. Several pictures, depicting this species, are shown on the page Plants: Flora in Turkey.

At sunset, ruddy shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea) are resting on sand bars in the Rapti River, southern Nepal. This bird is described on several pages on this website, including Animals – Birds: Birds in the Himalaya. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

In 1988, I participated in an expedition, the aim of which was to count wintering Palaearctic waders along the Tanzanian coast. The research on this expedition is described on the page Travel episodes – Tanzania 1988: Experiencing African bureaucracy.

Late afternoon sun, illuminating mangrove with feeding birds, including dimorphic egrets (Egretta dimorpha) and a crab plover (Dromas ardeola), Ras Pombwa, Tanzania. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

At dusk, a feeding lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) passes under the Moon, Monterrico, Guatemala. This bird is described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Costa Rica and Guatemala. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

The yellow-necked spurfowl (Pternistis leucoscepus) is a species of francolin, found from Eritrea southwards through Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya to northern Tanzania, westwards to the eastern parts of South Sudan and Uganda.

The common name refers to the bright yellow patch of naked skin on the throat, and to the spurs on the back of the legs of the male. It also has naked red skin around the eyes. The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leukos (‘white’) and skepe (‘covering’), alluding to the white-striped plumage of this species.

A huge area around the town of Bagan, central Myanmar, is dotted with the remains of c. 2,200 Theravada Buddhist pagodas and temples, of which the major part lie in ruins. During the height of the Bagan Kingdom, between the 11th and 13th Centuries, more than 10,000 temples, pagodas, and monasteries were built in this area.

The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is very widely distributed across subarctic, temperate, and subtropical areas of North America, Eurasia, and North Africa, southwards to Mexico, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan, and China, and it has also been introduced to many other places as a hunting object, including South America, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.

The drake is a gorgeous bird in breeding plumage, with grey sides, purple breast, and glossy-green head, with a blue shine from certain angles. The female is a uniform speckled brown. Pictures, depicting male and female, may be seen on the page Animals: Urban animal life.

Evening light illuminates grass huts, which are temporary shelters for fishermen, Long Wheeler Island, Bhitarkanika Wildlife Reserve, Maipura River delta, Odisha, India. This area is described in depth on the page Animals – Reptiles and amphibians: Reptiles and amphibians in the Indian Subcontinent. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

In the 1800s, about 2,000 wooden post windmills were found on the Swedish island of Öland, but during the 1900s, many went into decay and were torn down. However, no less than about 355 have been preserved, forming a characteristic feature on the island. A selection of pictures, depicting post mills, are shown on the page Culture: Mills.

Midnight sun is a phenomenon found north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle. In the northernmost and southernmost areas of these regions, the sun is in the sky for 24 hours about 60 days in the summer time, and gradually fewer days as you move from the poles towards the circles.

Bolgoda is a large lake in south-western Sri Lanka. Towards evening, a Sinhalese paddles his canoe past fish traps, made from split bamboo stems, which have been tied together to form mats. My adventures at this wetland are related on the page Travel episodes – Sri Lanka 1976: Among alcohol brewers. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Euphorbia candelabrum is a succulent, tree-like species of spurge, usually around 10 m tall, but occasionally to 20 m. It is endemic to eastern Africa along the Great Rift Valley, and to the countries around the African Horn. The specific name alludes to its shape, which resembles a candelabrum, giving rise to the popular name candelabra tree. It grows in dry wooded grasslands and on rocky slopes, up to elevations around 2,200 m.

The common cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha), a beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, is native to Europe. Both adults and larvae feed on plants, and they are regarded as serious agricultural pests on various crops, including fruit trees and grasses.

Evening sun adds a yellow tinge to deposited calcium bicarbonate, in which common fig trees (Ficus carica) have sprouted, Pamukkale Terraces, western Turkey. This species and many other species of fig trees are described on the page Plants: Fig trees. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Bruddesta, Öland, Sweden, in evening light. This abandoned fishing village has been preserved as a museum, including huts, boats, and winches, the purpose of which was to haul the boats on land. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

At dusk, cumulus clouds gather above the Bangweulu Swamps, a huge wetland in northern Zambia. This interesting area is described on the page Countries and places: Bangweulu – where water meets the sky. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum), illuminated by the evening sun, North Egremont, Massachusetts, United States. A large number of pictures, depicting the gorgeous autumn foliage of this species, and numerous other trees, are shown on the page Autumn. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

On their way to their night roost, herring gulls (Larus argentatus) are soaring over Christiansø, Bornholm, Denmark. This species and many other gulls are described on the page Animals – Birds: Gulls, terns and skimmers. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

The commonest African fruit-bat is the straw-coloured fruit-bat (Eidolon helvum), which lives in sub-Saharan savannas and forest, southwards to South Africa, and also in the south-western part of the Arabian Peninsula.

Sand dunes in late afternoon light, Sossusvlei, Namibia. The fantastic nature in this fascinating country is described on the page Countries and places: Namibia – a desert country. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Sunset and little cormorant (Microcarbo niger), Haleji Wildlife Sanctuary, Sindh, Pakistan. This bird is described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in the Indian Subcontinent. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

The umbrella acacia (Vachellia tortilis), previously known as Acacia tortilis, was named due to the shape of the crown, which is often broad and curved like an umbrella. It is a very widespread and common tree, to 20 m tall, distributed in the entire northern Africa, southwards to Senegal and Chad, and in a broad belt from Egypt southwards through eastern Africa to South Africa and southern Namibia. It also occurs in the Middle East, from Syria southwards through the entire Arabian Peninsula.

Previously, it was thought that 4 acacia species occurred in this vast area, but research has shown that they are all subspecies of V. tortilis. (Source: fao.org/3/Q2934E)

Other species of acacia are described on the page In praise of the colour yellow.

The majestic baobab (Adansonia digitata) dominates large areas of savanna in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the most widespread among the nine species in this genus, of which six are native to Madagascar, two to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one to Australia.

Folk names of this species include dead-rat tree (from the sausage-like fruit, hanging in a long stalk – the rat’s tail), monkey-bread tree (the fruit is edible), and upside-down tree (the sparse branches resemble roots). The name baobab is derived from the Arabic būħibāb, meaning ‘the father of many seeds’. The generic name refers to French botanist and explorer Michel Adanson (1727-1806), who was the first European to observe the species during an expedition to Senegal.

The pagoda style of Nepal, which is inspired by the shape of the Himalayan fir tree (Abies spectabilis), is the oldest pagoda style in Asia. These architectural beauties are multi-tiered Hindu temples with multiple curved roofs.

Three species of zebra live in Africa. The commonest and most widespread is the plains zebra (Equus quagga, previously known as E. burchelli). It was formerly far more widespread, but today the range is fragmented, with scattered populations of 5-6 subspecies found from southern Ethiopia southwards through eastern Africa to northern Namibia and north-eastern South Africa.

The plains zebra in Namibia was previously regarded as a distinct subspecies, antiquorum. However, recent studies have revealed that it is similar to Burchell’s zebra, subspecies burchelli, which was once considered extinct. As subspecies burchelli was described prior to antiquorum, the former name takes precedence. Thus, the plains zebras of Namibia are now called E. quagga ssp. burchelli. Following the extermination of the quagga, ssp. quagga, in the late 1800s, Burchell’s zebra is now the least striped surviving subspecies.

Evening atmosphere around skyscrapers, Taichung, Taiwan. The bird to the left in the upper picture is a house swift (Apus nipalensis). This species often feeds at dusk. It is described on the page Animals – Birds: Birds in Taiwan. (Photos copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

An interesting theory regarding the practical usage of the famous Giza pyramids in Egypt was proposed by my late friend John Burke in his book Seed of Knowledge, Stone of Plenty: Understanding the Lost Technology of the Ancient Megalith-Builders. The entire book is presented on this website (see Book).

The following four pictures show evening atmosphere in and around Manhattan, New York City.

An orthodox Jew recites from the Torah beneath Brooklyn Bridge. This famous bridge, 1,825 m long and with a main span of 486 m, was the first steel-wire suspension bridge to be constructed, between 1869 and 1883. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Sunset behind the Statue of Liberty, cranes, and the Bayonne Bridge, an arch bridge, which was completed in 1931. It spans the tidal strait Kill Van Kull, connecting Staten Island with the city of Bayonne, New Jersey. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

Towards evening, in the highlands west of Dinsho, Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, a young Oromo herder drives the family cattle back to his home. Other pictures, depicting Oromo children, are shown on the page People: Children around the world. (Photo copyright © by Kaj Halberg)

The Mexican palmetto (Sabal mexicana), in the United States also known as Rio Grande palmetto or Texas palmetto, is distributed from extreme southern Texas southwards along both seashores to Nicaragua. It is widespread and common in Mexico and Guatemala. This palm may reach a height of 18 m, with a trunk diameter up to 30 cm. The fan-shaped leaves, to 1.8 m across, are situated at the end of a spineless stalk, to 1.2 m long.

A close relative, the cabbage palmetto (S. palmetto) is described on the page Dawn.

According to a Hindu legend, a beautiful woman named Hemavsti was once bathing in moonshine in Lake Rati, in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India, when the moon god Chandra descended from the sky and embraced her. Later, she gave birth to a son, who became the first ruler of the Chandella Empire. Between 900 and 1050 A.D., Chandella emperors ordered about 85 stone temples to be constructed in Khajuraho. Friezes and sculptures on these temples depict many aspects of life in those days, including music, dancing, and war scenes.

The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) is an abundant seabird found in subarctic and northern temperate regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Two colour morphs of this bird exist, a pale one with white head and body, and grey wings and tail, and a dark morph, which is uniformly grey.

It belongs to the order Procellariiformes, whose members are characterized by having tubular nasal passages on the upper mandible, to which a gland is attached. When feeding, these birds invariably swallow a lot of sea water, and surplus salt in their body is excreted through this gland.

The name fulmar is derived from Old Norse full (‘foul’), alluding to a foul-smelling stomach oil that the bird regurgitates when in danger, and mar (‘gull’), referring to its gull-like appearance.

The doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) differs from most other palms through its branched trunk, with a fan of leaves at the end of each branch. This species is distributed across the African Sahel zone, and in East Africa, from northern Tanzania northwards to Egypt, and also in Israel, Jordan, and the Arabian Peninsula.

A large number of pictures, depicting sunsets, are shown on the page Nature: Clouds.

(Uploaded February 2020)

(Latest update October 2024)

Kaj Halberg - writer & photographer

Travels ‐ Landscapes ‐ Wildlife ‐ People

Evening