For many of us, swifts, swallows and house/sand martins will be swooping and chasing after insects. They're not the easiest of birds to capture in flight, however, feel free to share whatever photos or videos you get here.
I'm happy to report, I've seen the first swifts here, a bit late, but they've arrived, and hoping in the next week or two to go and see some swallows.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Thank you Hazel, Pete & Trevor.
The individual swift pics were all greatly cropped, which astounded me, or they would have been as small as the swifts with the buzzard.
My first sighting of swallows for 2021, on the roof tiles....
And another flying over the roof
A close-up of the swallow on the roof
Having a good preen on the roof apex...
Another perched on the gable end
Its a bit late for the dawn chorus!
OK, how was that hit from 1980; Secret Affair; "Time For Action" Secret Affair - Time For Action (1980) - YouTube
Mind the masonry, its a medieval property and a good few hundred years old!
Oi?
Don't you go changing those trade winds, it took us long enough to get 'ere with delayed flight passages and we're a stayin'!
This looks like a nagging session to me!
and close-ups...
some half decent inflight photos...
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Regards, Hazel
Lot to learn
Unknown said:Lovey set of photos Mike under that gorgeous blue sky; to be honest, haven't seen a lot of Swallows or House Martins this year, certainly not in the numbers they usually are but probably down the mixed weather we had in May. Good to see some made it over here and hope they had successful broods.
Thank you.
It was a a perfect photo day, not just the swallows, but the weather as well.
TJS said:A great set of photos of difficult birds to get in flight. I've seen plenty of Swallows and Martin's on the coast but not many where I live 20 miles inland, but there appears to be our usual number of Swift's flying too high for a decent photo opportunity.
Thank you Trevor.
Believe me, its a challenge (esp as post-accident I have balance issues), and I've dumped more photos than I've kept.
The settings I use for the Canon 5D4 are:
I've found it best to pre-empt the focus, usually opting for a static object, which then means less time wasted by the camera trying to focus on the birds, and avoid zooming in too close, that way I don't loose sight too quickly, even though I often do, my neck hasn't a 360º rotation, nor does it manage to get much above 45º when looking upward!
ellis187 said:Disappointingly, I’ve only seen one definite swallow this year, it was on a telegraph line next to a farm. However, there are absolutely stacks of house martins and swifts swooping over my village every day, I saw a flock of 20 house martins and 20 swifts all hunting together last night. Great photos though anyway, especially for how hard they are to capture. Thanks
I've hardly seen any martin's this year. The only place I've seen them is Burton Mere, though I do know another place where I've seen House Martins, and hope to make a visit there sometime soon.
Swallows I only seem to find in rural areas, and swifts, seem predominantly in urban areas.
gaynorsl said:Good captures Mike, it's a mystery to me how anyone can get the Swallow in frame, I did try the other night, good photos of the field is all I manage :-) I like the Pied Waggie too, quite brave birds I find, they don't fly off as soon as you spot them, especially if they are up on the roof.
It is a challenge, and very much more luck than judgement. If you see my reply to Trevor, I list the camera settings, plus a few little helpful, but not guaranteed tips.
The pied waggie as determined to get in on the scene at any cost, and I was happy to oblige.