Saturday, May 2, 2015

ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS

Lately I've been trying to capture a nice, crisp image of rough-winged swallows in typical feeding action. A handful of the small birds occasionally stops by the pool in front of the cottage, swiftly circling over the water, twisting and turning with aerodynamic grace and lethal accuracy as they work the air just above the river's surface for hatching insects.

Like bats, dragonflies, and similar high-speed fliers whose flight patterns are erratic or quick-changing, rough-winged swallows present a real photographic challenge to track in-focus, keep well framed, and catch in your recorded image at that fraction of a moment when everything is interestingly depicted. A goal which has, so far, eluded my efforts. 

But I'm getting close…at least I'm now managing to count on one out of every three or four frames to be more or less properly focused. A ratio that's a decided improvement compared to my initial efforts. 

Close, perhaps, but still no cigar. I've not yet captured that singular, artistically satisfying image. 

Incidentally, I remain conflicted and open to correction as to whether the birds are indeed rough-winged swallows or bank swallows. I believe I'm correct in saying the former, because I never see (or note in one of my attempted photos) that distinct wrap-around dark breast band or white throat of the bank swallow. However, that assumption could easily be based on my birding incompetence.     

4 comments:

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ- happy Saturday - I love the images you capture on the river and of the river blended with your colorful words and wisdom - such a gift! Thanks!

It is a lovely day her n the shore line of Clin ton, Ct - planning to grill some sword fish later with an Asian marinade - pineapple-soy-sesame and - olive oil and some garlic - a nice salad and sone wime - chilled - leftover pie and a movie later on. The blessings abound. Hope you and your LadyLove are grand
Love Gail
peace...

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

Well, I can see I'm going to have to step up our mealtimes…your menu again puts me to shame—never mind causing an embarrassing amount of drooling. The best sort of simple, delicious, informal food that I love.

It's in the upper-70s˚ here—might even hit 80˚. I've been cleaning and repairing the lawn mower, so's we can cut our grass before one of us gets lost going out to retrieve the mail. But I didn't hurt myself other than a small puncture wound or two while servicing the thing. And this morning, I caught three rock bass, two crappies, and a nice smallmouth from the Cottage Pool. So I'm pretty grand myself—and truly blessed!

Loren said...

I spent most of a day trying to capture shots of Nighthawks feeding on a river. I finally managed to catch a shot when I aimed at the apogee of their flight.

One of the best birding/photography days of my life.

Grizz………… said...

Loren...

Patience, practice, and luck are the holy trinity for a nature photographer, and a close fourth is trying to out think the problem or situation. Which sounds like exactly what you did. Congratulations on getting the shot. I know you earned it!