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White-throated Swifts are a bird found in western North America from northern California down to Honduras. The northern populations a migratory. They draw attention to themselves by their staccato chattering calls which to my ear sound very unswiftlike. They usually nest in high, rocky cliff crevices but can nest in buildings. I have seen them many times but usually at great distance. But on this trip to Baja we managed to find a few flying at low altitude so I managed to capture a photo. Its scientific name Aeronautes saxatlis translates as "air sailor of the rocks". You can see here that it's not just the throat that is white. There are also white flank patches and the tips to the secondary wing feathers are also white.
We climbed Ingleborough to find flocks of swifts at the top, feeding on the swarms of midges. (I haven’t painted the midges). The hill in the background is Pen-y-ghent which means roughly "windy hill" in the ancient British language. Watercolour 11x12", french ultramarine, quinacridone magenta, permanent rose, aureolin, cadmium yellow pale.
Nyssus coloripes Walckenaer, 1805, I believe. Found at Plunkett Conservation Park in Cedar Creek. Queensland, Australia.
Found on trunk of tree.
Species ID confirmation appreciated
Single exposure, uncropped, handheld, in situ. Canon MT-24EX flash unit, Ian McConnachie diffuser.
A short 26 car 910 drops downhill near Swift as it slows for the west siding switch. Todays meet between 910 and his westbound counterpart 909 will take place just ahead. GP38-2's 4438 and 4417 lead the way east on April 12, 1983.
quite pleased with the general sharpness of this for such a fast bird . .quite pleased to have got it in the frame at all!
The Swift Motor Company made Swift Cars in Coventry from 1900 until 1931. It grew progressively from James Starley's Coventry Sewing Machine Company, via bicycle and motorised cycle manufacture. This 1927 Swift, SF 7805, is seen at a lunchtime gathering at The Old Bull Inn, Inkberrow.
In August migrating chinook and sockeye salmon swim up Swift Creek at Valemount, British Columbia, Canada.
First time this year with a swift and its mates inside reasonable range, and all from my kitchen doorstep, sat on the kitchen stool. Who needs cars?
His/her? throat pouch looks pretty full. Today these birds were mixing with a few Swallows as well but those didn't offer many real chances of a shot. Some flying too high to be photo targets but some - like the one shown - low enough to be shot from its starboard gunwale.
Afterthought.
Previous to that day here at home I'd not seen any similar chances at hirundines, but was glad to take full advantage of what was on offer - however if I'd been sharper on the button there'd have been a bigger and better set of postings.
Yet next and subsequent days - no such show of these has been seen here - indeed not a single swallow, swift or martin has shown itself since (when I've been looking anyway)
Guessing that these will be found where they're finding the densest concentration of flying insects. But why that could differ so completely between adjacent days - I've no ready answer for.
Anyone know about this?
Every September, the Vaux's Swifts migrate through Portland and use a chimney at a local elementary school to roost. Up to 10,000 birds gather at sunset and put on an amazing show as they swoop in to the chimney. Hundreds of people come every night to hang out, picnic and watch the show. Occasionally a hawk comes by and provides a little added excitement by trying to get dinner.
Composite - One of my favourite birds 2 tries to get this
full frame added the one on the left off to Mull soon for a mini break can't wait :-)
Needed a break from flickr been watching the world cup football there's only one Harry Kane ha I would support Scotland too if they were in it :)
I see many more males than females for this species. So happy to have found a cooperative female. Love the two-toned eyes.
Female Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Photo by Andy
Shot 1 of 5
Heading down the B5013 and actually managing to stay on the right side of the road.
Couldn't believe it when this turned out to be in focus....
Interesting fact "As the bird is hunting, insects are collected in the back of the throat in a special food pouch and bound together with saliva into a ball called a bolus, which is periodically eaten or taken to the nest. These food balls can contain thousands of insects.
Read more at www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guid...;
The Swift was a famous "Airship" class air racing 'plane. This class were unlimited in engine power and other design criteria and intended for stratospheric race courses. The competitors were launched and recovered from large airships. These also functioned as pit-stops, with arms to grapple the aircraft into hangars under the gas envelope.
Lacking landing gear helped to make the aircraft lighter and faster. With the Swift, this was carried to extremes. The cockpit featured no instruments, in order to save weight. Heat from the aeroplane's engines could be felt through the cockpit seat and throttle adjustments were made on this basis. It is believed that this is where the expression "Flying by the seat of your pants." originates.
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This design was totally inspired by these illustrations by Pablo Dominguez Aguilar.
This is a picture of a Swift River Cruiser on the North Tract of the Patuxent Research Refuge near Fort Meade, Maryland.
Laurel Quad
An attempt at capturing Swifts flying directly towards me from my garden. Amazed that the 7D II managed to track these at all considering their speed!
Neotropical-palm Swift or fork-tailed palm swift -Tachornis squamata, on a overhead power line on the road between Cuiaba and Pocone , State of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Small foxes native to short and mixed grass prairies of the West. Found in the Oklahoma panhandle and northwest corner of the state. Exact numbers of wild ones is not known, but they are found in only 40% of their historic range, so it follows their numbers are down accordingly. This one lives in the Oklahoma Trails Exhibit of the OKC Zoo.
Our beautiful world, pass it on.
I took over 200 pictures of flying Swifts and only managed to get a few sharp photos.
No fault with the camera, it was more the erratic flying as they twisted in the air whenever they saw an insect.
Hoverspeed SRN4 GH-2004 is loading for Dover at Calais on a blustery evening in September 1989. Not the calmest of crossings!
Pentax K1000/50mm
Ilford FP4
Taken Yeadon Tarn. I took about 30 shots of them swooping over the tarn and this is the best shot..I now know why they are called Swifts.
The common swift (Apus apus) is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barn swallow or house martin but somewhat larger. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles. Swifts' nearest relatives are thought to be the New World hummingbirds and the Southeast Asian treeswifts.
Their scientific name comes from the Ancient Greek words α "without", and πούς, "feet". ἄπους, apous, meaning "without feet". These birds have very short legs which they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces (hence the German name Mauersegler, literally meaning "wall-glider"). They never settle voluntarily on the ground, where they would be vulnerable to accidents and predation.