Tag: barn swallow
Landing Barn Swallow – Are You Fooled By What’s Happening Here?
Sometimes I have to rely on subtle clues to figure out what’s really going on in my own images. And I was there!
Barn Swallows Playin’ In The Mud
Barn Swallow Adult And Fledgling – Finally, Perfect Timing
Why Parent Barn Swallows Stuff Food So Far Down Throats Of Their Offspring
Adult Barn Swallows stuff insects so far down the throats of their youngsters that it can almost look like the young birds are trying to swallow the head of their parent.
Barn Swallows – Feeding Their Fledglings Isn’t An Exact Science
When a parent Barn Swallow stuffs food into the mouth of one of its fledglings it usually comes off flawlessly. But not always…
Barn Swallow
I’ve always had a “thing” for Barn Swallows. I’m sure it goes back to my childhood on the family farm in Montana where they nested in huge numbers on and in all of the many old barns, granaries and outbuildings. As a kid I spent many hours watching their graceful flight with their long forked tail and pointed wings being quite distinctive. Another thing (besides the fond memories) that I’m indebted to them for is that the species indirectly led to the beginning of the conservation movement in the United States. The destruction of Barn Swallows for the millinery trade (those long tail feathers were apparently considered very attractive on the hat of a lady) during the 1800’s led to George Bird Grinnell’s article in Forest and Stream in 1886 that prompted the founding of the first Audubon Society. Hooray for Barn Swallows ! I think the way they’ve adapted to man is fascinating. They’re now the most abundant and widely distributed swallow in the world and originally they nested almost exclusively in caves but with the advent of human structures that has changed dramatically. They have almost completely converted to nesting in or on man-made structures like bridges, culverts and the eaves of buildings. In fact, in modern times any Barn Swallows found nesting on natural sites create quite a stir among birders and are often reported with much interest. 1/640, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light But I must admit that I also enjoy them in natural settings. I found this bird at Bear River MBR where…
A Birthday Bounty Of Bear River Birds
Wednesday of this past week was my “medicare birthday”. I’m sure older readers will understand why my psyche needed some bolstering and I felt justified in burning up some extra gas and putting even more miles on my pickup for a trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to help take my mind off of my advancing age. It was worth the trip! While I didn’t get any truly spectacular shots it was a wonderful morning with excellent weather and light, lots of cooperative birds and great company – thanks to Mia. The only downside was that I had 35 gigs of images to cull when I got home… A couple of notes about my techs: a), regular readers are probably aware that I nearly always shoot with the 1.4 tc attached to my 500 mm. On this morning I got so close to many of the birds that almost half of the images I’ve posted here were taken without the tc and b), many of these images were taken with a very high shutter speed which is typical for me since I’m usually set up for action shots after firing off a few times on more traditional poses. All photos are presented in the order they were taken. 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc On the road to the refuge we came across a pair of Short-eared Owls cavorting in the air right after the sun came up. One of the owls was “sky dancing” but by the time I got the pickup…
Angry Barn Swallow
As I approached the parking lot at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge just before taking the loop road there were myriads of swallows flying around as per usual in spring and early summer. I noticed this Barn Swallow on a post and decided to take a few shots. It let me approach very closely and I didn’t know why at first but it soon became very apparent that this bird was in distress. If you look closely at the image above you’ll notice that there is “something” connecting the tips of a tail feather and one of the primary wing feathers that prevented this bird from flying and as a result it was a very unhappy and frustrated bird! I photographed this swallow for over 10 minutes as it struggled to solve its incomprehensible problem. It would alternately attempt to break the connection by raising and extending its wings and… trying to reach the problem area with its beak, which it just couldn’t quite do. At times its apparent anger and frustration (anthropomorphic of me, I know) became quite evident as it would momentarily cease struggling and just sit there and call out pitifully. But eventually the connection between the feathers broke and the bird flew off instantly – so fast that I missed the shot. I still don’t know for sure what substance caused this problem. It has been suggested by others that it could have been spider silk. I’ve also wondered about the possibility of sticky tree…
Short-eared Owls Defending Their Nest Against Predators
Recent reports from others indicate that bird activity on Antelope Island is slowing down now and our experience out there recently would agree with that assessment so yesterday when Mia and I were trying to decide where to go shooting birds we were a little hesitant about another trip to the island. But even with things slowing down we almost never fail to find something interesting to photograph and yesterday was certainly no exception! Canon 7D, 1/800, f/7.1, ISO 500, EV 0, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Soon after arriving on the island we noticed a pair of Short-eared Owls, obviously mated based on their behavior. Canon 7D, 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 500, EV 0, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This owl was carrying a vole and we immediately suspected that the pair had a nest in the vicinity, which turned out to be true. It was quite a distance from the road and buried in vegetation but we could tell its location by watching this owl deliver food to the nest site – either to the mate or to both the mate and chicks. We watched and photographed the birds for a while but when things slowed down we went further down the island. Canon 7D, 1/1600, f/8, ISO 640, EV + .67, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc On our return to the area of the nest we immediately saw a quickly developing drama. A young coyote had apparently just crossed the road and was approaching the nest area and the owls were in…
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Landing Barn Swallow – Are You Fooled By What’s Happening Here?
Sometimes I have to rely on subtle clues to figure out what’s really going on in my own images. And I was there!
Barn Swallows Playin’ In The Mud
Barn Swallow Adult And Fledgling – Finally, Perfect Timing
Why Parent Barn Swallows Stuff Food So Far Down Throats Of Their Offspring
Adult Barn Swallows stuff insects so far down the throats of their youngsters that it can almost look like the young birds are trying to swallow the head of their parent.
Barn Swallows – Feeding Their Fledglings Isn’t An Exact Science
When a parent Barn Swallow stuffs food into the mouth of one of its fledglings it usually comes off flawlessly. But not always…
Barn Swallow
I’ve always had a “thing” for Barn Swallows. I’m sure it goes back to my childhood on the family farm in Montana where they nested in huge numbers on and in all of the many old barns, granaries and outbuildings. As a kid I spent many hours watching their graceful flight with their long forked tail and pointed wings being quite distinctive. Another thing (besides the fond memories) that I’m indebted to them for is that the species indirectly led to the beginning of the conservation movement in the United States. The destruction of Barn Swallows for the millinery trade (those long tail feathers were apparently considered very attractive on the hat of a lady) during the 1800’s led to George Bird Grinnell’s article in Forest and Stream in 1886 that prompted the founding of the first Audubon Society. Hooray for Barn Swallows ! I think the way they’ve adapted to man is fascinating. They’re now the most abundant and widely distributed swallow in the world and originally they nested almost exclusively in caves but with the advent of human structures that has changed dramatically. They have almost completely converted to nesting in or on man-made structures like bridges, culverts and the eaves of buildings. In fact, in modern times any Barn Swallows found nesting on natural sites create quite a stir among birders and are often reported with much interest. 1/640, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light But I must admit that I also enjoy them in natural settings. I found this bird at Bear River MBR where…
A Birthday Bounty Of Bear River Birds
Wednesday of this past week was my “medicare birthday”. I’m sure older readers will understand why my psyche needed some bolstering and I felt justified in burning up some extra gas and putting even more miles on my pickup for a trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to help take my mind off of my advancing age. It was worth the trip! While I didn’t get any truly spectacular shots it was a wonderful morning with excellent weather and light, lots of cooperative birds and great company – thanks to Mia. The only downside was that I had 35 gigs of images to cull when I got home… A couple of notes about my techs: a), regular readers are probably aware that I nearly always shoot with the 1.4 tc attached to my 500 mm. On this morning I got so close to many of the birds that almost half of the images I’ve posted here were taken without the tc and b), many of these images were taken with a very high shutter speed which is typical for me since I’m usually set up for action shots after firing off a few times on more traditional poses. All photos are presented in the order they were taken. 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc On the road to the refuge we came across a pair of Short-eared Owls cavorting in the air right after the sun came up. One of the owls was “sky dancing” but by the time I got the pickup…
Angry Barn Swallow
As I approached the parking lot at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge just before taking the loop road there were myriads of swallows flying around as per usual in spring and early summer. I noticed this Barn Swallow on a post and decided to take a few shots. It let me approach very closely and I didn’t know why at first but it soon became very apparent that this bird was in distress. If you look closely at the image above you’ll notice that there is “something” connecting the tips of a tail feather and one of the primary wing feathers that prevented this bird from flying and as a result it was a very unhappy and frustrated bird! I photographed this swallow for over 10 minutes as it struggled to solve its incomprehensible problem. It would alternately attempt to break the connection by raising and extending its wings and… trying to reach the problem area with its beak, which it just couldn’t quite do. At times its apparent anger and frustration (anthropomorphic of me, I know) became quite evident as it would momentarily cease struggling and just sit there and call out pitifully. But eventually the connection between the feathers broke and the bird flew off instantly – so fast that I missed the shot. I still don’t know for sure what substance caused this problem. It has been suggested by others that it could have been spider silk. I’ve also wondered about the possibility of sticky tree…
Short-eared Owls Defending Their Nest Against Predators
Recent reports from others indicate that bird activity on Antelope Island is slowing down now and our experience out there recently would agree with that assessment so yesterday when Mia and I were trying to decide where to go shooting birds we were a little hesitant about another trip to the island. But even with things slowing down we almost never fail to find something interesting to photograph and yesterday was certainly no exception! Canon 7D, 1/800, f/7.1, ISO 500, EV 0, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc Soon after arriving on the island we noticed a pair of Short-eared Owls, obviously mated based on their behavior. Canon 7D, 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 500, EV 0, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc This owl was carrying a vole and we immediately suspected that the pair had a nest in the vicinity, which turned out to be true. It was quite a distance from the road and buried in vegetation but we could tell its location by watching this owl deliver food to the nest site – either to the mate or to both the mate and chicks. We watched and photographed the birds for a while but when things slowed down we went further down the island. Canon 7D, 1/1600, f/8, ISO 640, EV + .67, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc On our return to the area of the nest we immediately saw a quickly developing drama. A young coyote had apparently just crossed the road and was approaching the nest area and the owls were in…