Tuesday, February 26, 2013

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.

Tree Swallow

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

Tree Swallow

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

Tree Swallow

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

Tree Swallow

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

Tree Swallow

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.

Tree Swallow

A Tree Swallow in a hard banking move.

Tree Swallow

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.

Tree Swallow

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

Tree Swallow

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

Tree Swallow

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

Tree Swallow

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.

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