View allAll Photos Tagged treeswallow
It's hard to believe that this was taken almost 7 years ago. This Tree Swallow had come down to Bob Pond from the meadow and perhaps even a Western Bluebird nest box. The bluebirds were already feeding nestlings, and the Tree Swallows had just shown up while migrating. But here is where they mated and raised the fledglings before continuing their migration south.
Bob Pond, fed by a natural spring, was about four feet deep, and it was a favorite watering hole for thrashers, swallows, bluebirds, orioles (Bullock's), and kinglets. The next year, as the drought really took hold, the pond was bone dry and now, seven years later, has perhaps a foot of water. This is the 11th year of the drought. I don't know why this surprises so many. California is a semi-arid state, and it has droughts every decade or so. In my 60 years in this state, I've been through five droughts. This may be the longest ... and there are still people wasting water (more so in the drier south!). If you read a history of California, you'll find references to severe droughts in the late 18th and early 20th Centuries.
It MAY be because of the length of this drought that we have seen a dramatic change in the migration for many bird species. They are just now recovering.
A pair of Tree Swallows have a sort of friendly conversation, I wonder which one will get the final say
Five recently fledged Tree Swallows from the nest box on Mud Lake sit atop Old Friend, waiting to be fed, while one of the parents takes a break from bug catching.
Working from the archives
Thanks everyone for your views, fave's and comments! They are all greatly appreciated!
Tachycineta bicolor in anticipation of feeding by parent,
Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, San Luis Obispo Co., CA
Captured in Potter's Marsh Anchorage. Tree Swallows are migratory birds visiting Alaska during the Summer from the south, They fly a long way from Central America. They like wetland so they visit the marsh, and the eat insects, Alaska has abundant bugs during the Summer.
A bit of a tough shot shooting toward the Sun and waiting for the tree swallows to come into the field of view that would yield the effect of the Sun shining through making "angel wings". Shot with Nikon Z8 and 100-400 Z lens.
Not the sharpest image, but the behavior was pretty cool. Trying to track them in flight is difficult and sometimes you don't know what you've got till later. This was early spring when they were starting their nesting season.
A year ago, in May: a female Tree Swallow perches on a fence post at the edge of town. All my complaints about our recent snowfall notwithstanding, the migratory birds will be back soon!
Photographed at Val Marie, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2016 James R. Page - all rights reserved.