barn swallow

Not sure as to whether or not this was the parent of the chicks perched nearby,or maybe a slightly older sibling.The plumage around the face does not seem like that of an adult,but perhaps my imagination,and the somewhat poor light.

Now with an added Barn in the picture! Sort of. ;) I'll show you a better one soon with loads of little darlings on their favourite barn. BTW I do believe the spots on the tail belong to the youngsters and not the adults.

Not a place were you normaly would see them. This young Barn Swallow and two others were waiting in a tree for their parents with food.

Well, as promised earlier. :t: From a visit this week though.

How's this for strange. The first place I went to after I recovered from my hospital visit back in May is exactly the same place as I went to after my most recent hospital visit. Photographing the same birds too, complete coincidence! :-O

The sort of photo I've been trying for. It's only taken around 1,000 photos ;) Watching them feed you can see them with mouth open as they pick up flies but this is the first one I've caught in the act.

This beautiful dark-phased Barn Swallow took a break from hawking for insects over the American River in "Old Town" Sacramento and posed nicely for me. All the other tourists were taking photos of the paddle wheel riverboat and the historic buildings, I'm happily snapping pics of Barn...

Water Colour

An unusual view.

On the way up to Scotland, stopping at Walney, I went a hide where I was told to expect Common, Arctic, Sandwich and Little Terns. I spent a quarter of an hour and coudn't even work out where the Terns might have been - I certainly didn't see any. But this one made it a super day. It came down...

Prep sketch for a painting, just moving through to my gallery

I just love this shot of a "loving" pair of swallows, better than on a wire!!

A real delight watching the fledgling Swallows being fed by their parents.

Four were sat along a short section of fence awaiting food deliveries from parents.

The backdrop to this would normally be a mountainside but yesterday it was foggy and you cant get a more uncluttered BG than that eh?

Barn Swallow hunting insect over Laguna Salada, on the coast in Pacifica, California. Canon EOS 40D, 100-400mm at 400mm at f/5.6 1/1600 ISO 400. 100% crop.