One year ago today, I photographed this Barn Swallow perched on a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service sign from the auto tour loop at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. It’s really more of a marker than a sign.
Barn Swallow and toe shadows on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sign – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
This is a simple Barn Swallow photo. Basically we see the sign, and the sky in the background, the swallow resting for a moment, and the shadow of its toes on the upper corner of the sign.
Purists might not care for the “hand of man” depicted in this image, and that is completely fine. They have their way of capturing images, while I create mine. To me, the swallow perched on the sign simply demonstrates how these swallows have adapted to the presence of humans in nature.
During this time of the year, the swallows that nest in northern Utah are gathering in large, mixed-species flocks at the refuge. The hatch year swallows mix in with the adults. These flocks can be quite large and noisy.
The breeding season has completed yet there is a palpable sense of urgency in the flocks of swallows at the refuge and elsewhere during these last days of summer.
In August, the sense of urgency isn’t focused on finding a mate, breeding, and rearing their young. Instead, it’s about preparing for their long fall migration.
I missed the swallow breeding season in Utah this year, and while I might feel a tinge of sadness about that, I was needed elsewhere. I have no regrets about that whatsoever.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Barn Swallow photos plus facts and information about this species.
Birds and animals do indeed adapt to the hand of man. They have to.
Seeing the swallow on the sign makes me chuckle. “See? There really are birds here!”