1\/640, f\/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f\/4, natural light <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nI photographed this bird in June at Bear River MBR.\u00a0 I like the natural setting, pose and the detail I was able to get at this close range.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, juvenile Cliff Swallows show among the greatest variability in head colors of any North American bird species.\u00a0\u00a0Soon after\u00a0fledging these young\u00a0swallows gather in large groups (called creches) of up to 1,000 birds and assemble on trees, cliffs and wires where they continue to be fed by their individual parents.\u00a0 It’s thought that the adult birds may use the distinctive facial markings of the young birds to locate their own progeny from within the large group.<\/p>\n
The first\u00a0recorded observation\u00a0of Cliff Swallows by Europeans in North America occurred within a few miles of where I’m sitting now – when in September of 1776 Spaniard Silvestre\u00a0Velez de Escalante encountered large numbers of them\u00a0in the Wasatch Range of Utah.<\/p>\n
Originally, Cliff Swallows were birds of our western mountains but they have expanded their range across much of the continent because of the construction of bridges, highway culverts and buildings that serve as alternate nesting sites to their\u00a0more natural\u00a0nesting preferences of steep canyon sides and\u00a0horizontal ledges of rock.<\/p>\n
I photographed this youngster from a small bridge with a culvert beneath\u00a0and there were hundreds of its species flying around their nests under the bridge.\u00a0 You’d almost think they’d “read the book” about where to nest.\u00a0 The only thing on the list that was missing was buildings.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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This post is a bit of a change of pace for me – a fledgling Cliff Swallow, one the more common birds in North America.<\/p>\n
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![\"cliff](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/cliff-swallow-1153-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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