Juvenile Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR

Juvenile Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR – Nikon D810, f9, 1/1250, ISO 1000, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Reports of swallows in Utah are trickling in and I have been expecting to see one any day now. Yesterday while traveling on the causeway leaving Antelope Island I saw my first of the year midge tornadoes so I know the swallows will have food when they arrive. I love how swallows eat mosquitoes I just wish that I could train them to seek, destroy and eat the no-see-ums that will be biting us soon.

Last year in mid August I photographed a very cooperative juvenile Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR and realized I hadn’t posted any images of the bird or written about my encounter with it. Juvenile Barn Swallows are a bit duller and their tails are shorter than the adults are but otherwise they look much the same. I will say this, they are noisy little squawkers when they want to be fed!

Juvenile Barn Swallow begging to be fed – Nikon D810, f9, 1/1250, ISO 900, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

This juvenile was very close to the edge of the auto tour route, so close that even at f9 and f8 I couldn’t get enough depth of field to go the whole bird sharply in focus. I loved how this juvenile would face the direction of the adults nearby which allowed me to get this head on shot of it with its bill gaping wide open.

Perched juvenile Barn Swallow – Nikon D810, f8, 1/800, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

When the adults left the immediate area the little Barn Swallow would calm down some and rest while it perched on the tip of a cattail.  I was able to take hundreds of images of this juvenile that day and I still have many more images of it that I would love to find time to process.

Juvenile Barn Swallow being fed – Nikon D810, f8, 1/1000, ISO 400, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Every time the adults flew in to feed the juvenile some thing happened to prevent me from getting both birds sharp, in focus or getting great eye contact from both birds. I still like the behavior in this frame even though I didn’t have enough depth of field, can’t see the adult swallow’s eyes and the juvenile’s eye looks a little weird because the nictitating membrane is visible.

I should have taken off my TC when I first saw this juvenile since it was so close but I honestly didn’t expect it to stick around for hundreds of images and while I was photographing it I didn’t want to miss the action if the adult came in while I took the TC off. In hindsight I realize I could have made better choices.

Live and learn.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Barn Swallow photos plus facts and information about this species.