It's getting to that time of year, when those hirundinidaes, or for the less educated like me, swifts, swallows, house and sand martins are returning to the UK to breed. We've read and heard the stories where the nesting sites have been blocked, off with netting etc, here we can share the happier moments of these birds in their majesty.
They can be tricky little birds to photograph in flight, fast, darting around, up-down. flying around (for those wondering, the words came from the opening theme to Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines film, where a group of wouldbe aviators flew from London to Paris in around 25 hours during the VERY early days of flying, theme tune HERE), but why not have a go, so I'll start the 2022 thread off with, very much a case of grab the camera and shoot photos, because the sun was at the wrong angle, and hadn't been good all day to be honest.
The link to last years thread Swifts, Swallows & Martins, share your photos and videos here 2021 for those who want to look back at the many photos shared, and all were good and most welcome to view.
https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/277106/swifts-swallows-martins-share-your-photos-and-videos-here/1354849#pifragment-4285=1
My first swallow for 2022
My first, I think, house martin, please correct me if I'm wrong. [post edit, sand martin, thanks to Bob and Zo for the correction]
Both taken at RSPB Conwy
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Spey Bay, the house martins and swallows were busy...
More Spey Bay house martins and swallows....
You can make out the insect about to be taken...
Michael B said:
To be honest I think they are all Sand Martins.
Bobs_Retired said:
I did wonder if the third one may have been a swallow, but I feel you're right and I just got a little carried away, and appreciate the correction.
Im exited about getting a photo of a Barn Swallow I was expecting to take a photo of them flying but even better I got one perched at the Barn in Eastington under Coaly Peak. Not only that I got to film it calling while perched in there. It’s also cooll cause I got to take a photo of it in its natural habitat which like the name suggests Barns. I have transferred the photos and videos to my laptop and used one of my CD R disks to put the photos and video onto DVD so I have a DVD of the Barn Swallow now. And I have put it in my David Attenborough DVD case to keep it safe
Zo Clark said:Im exited about getting a photo of a Barn Swallow I was expecting to take a photo of them flying but even better I got one perched at the Barn in Eastington under Coaly Peak. Not only that I got to film it calling while perched in there. It’s also cooll cause I got to take a photo of it in its natural habitat which like the name suggests Barns. I have transferred the photos and videos to my laptop and used one of my CD R disks to put the photos and video onto DVD so I have a DVD of the Barn Swallow now. And I have put it in my David Attenborough DVD case to keep it safe
I share the excitement, I too get excited even at my old age with seeing them, and getting photos.
I'll be making a visit to a local Nat Trust soon, their swallows should be back in residence, and the nests are literally above peoples heads in the gateway, and so many folk walk under with no realisation what is going on literally just above their heads!
You can see last years photos on my Flickr pages, on the following link, towards the bottom half of the first page and on to the second page.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/peak-rambler/albums/72157719377477540
Lot to learn
Baddesley Clinton, a moated medieval house, swallows in the gatehouse, and right on cue, an occupied swallows nest. Not the one in previous years, and I felt this nesting pair were probably first timers, but that is only a wild guess.
The area where the nests are...
The team at Baddesley say the swallows have only been there around a week or so, and quite late in arriving this year.
Settling down and awaiting the next catch to arrive
The doting partner arrives complete with insect
Once happy all is safe, flies up to the nest
Fed and settled, until the next food supply comes in
A few local Swifts
After a hectic, and worrying couple of days, it was good just to have an idle day in the garden, one of the very few sunny occasions we seem to get around here, and watch the day go by, especially those swifts, darting around at Warp Factor 100!