Tree Swallows: A Flight Study

Tree Swallows are taunting me all over the place this year. Today they were swarming over the trees next to the parking lot where I work. It was overcast but I headed out to try and get some shots. The shots aren't stellar but they did provide a variety of displays of them in flight. Thought I would share. First up, a strong downbeat.



The most frequently seen pose, the birds flap their wings very rapidly and then glide for a bit.



That is quickly followed by a banking move to either grab an insect of just to change direction for the next run.



Sometimes they tuck in their wings a bit to increase speed.



To gain height, they spread the wings wide and flap harder before the next dive.



The speed is amazing and getting the bird in focus is a chore but always fun to watch as they navigate buildings and tree branches. I decided to focus on the tree here and snap away, hoping for a bird to fly into the frame.



A Tree Swallow in a hard banking move.



I blew up this shot to show how the bird's body is turning but its head is still level and focused on its intended destination.



Here, a pair displays two different wing shapes as they zoom overhead.



Two more Swallows gather insects over the palm trees. The one on the left appears to be in breaking mode.



A final bird soars past the trees before I head back inside.



I was only out there a few minutes and discovered I had taken over 200 shots. Most were blurry but I love the challenge of taking photos of these remarkable birds. They will be moving on in the next month or so and I will soak up every opportunity I can get to watch them feed and fly.