Cliff Swallow Juvenile (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/125, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Yesterday there were literally thousands of adult and immature swallows visible at Bear River MBR. A great number of them were Cliff Swallows like the immature bird above.
I had a difficult time obtaining an image of this bird that showed detail, sharpness and had enough depth of field. The light was low, there was a breeze blowing the Hard-stemmed Bulrush around and with it; the bird. I took more images than normal trying for a crisp, detailed photo. I shot this in Aperture Priority which means that I select the aperture and the ISO while the camera selects the shutter speed, I don’t like to go over ISO 400 with my D200 because noise can creep in and become a major issue so I sacrificed some shutter speed for this image. If I had gone to f7.1 or f8 my shutter speed would have dropped even more. A bit of a compromise but I think this turned out well.
Juvenile Cliff Swallow – pale-throated variant – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Later in the day this juvenile Cliff Swallow cooperated and stayed perched for quite a few frames. I’m not sure if the plant is a Water Parsnip or a Water Hemlock but I enjoy the lacy flowers that remind me of Queen Anne’s Lace. I also like how the out of focus vegetation gives this image a depth it might not have without the out of focus stems and flowers in the background. I had more light for this photo that gave me a more acceptable shutter speed. I dialed back the exposure compensation so the whites of the flowers didn’t blow out.
There is a large variance in the appearance of juvenile Cliff Swallows though they all have dark auriculars. This young bird appears to be a pale-throated variant. Cliff Swallow juveniles seem a little stickier than the adults are and can be fun to photograph.
Cliff Swallows catch and eat flying insects of many species the wing so I adore them because they eat mosquitoes, an insect that I personally despise! Go Cliff Swallows!
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Cliff Swallow photos plus facts and information about this species.
Stunning photos! Perfect!
Thanks Judy, they can be sweet looking birds until they start demanding food!
That would be helpful to know since I was thinking that I would need to shoot from the car, as you do, on the causeway when I visit Antelope Island in October. I have read that some people just put actual beans in a gallon ziplock bag to use from a car window frame.
Hi Mia. You did a great job with both of these photos. Were you shooting off a tripod for that 1/125 SS? I really like the feather detail in the first one, and enjoy seeing habitat in the second image. I have never seen juvenile cliff swallows before-I will have to go look for them at one of our local parks.
Hi Julie! I was shooting from inside a vehicle and using it as a mobile blind when I photographed the juvenile swallows. Awhile back I came up with an idea to use to support my gear plus it protects the lens and the vehicle window from getting scratched. I’ll have to do a post on it with images to show how it is made. Saves big $$ instead of buying expensive bean bags. I’ll try to get that posted soon.
Very cool – LOVE that first photo!!