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Outside in the Rain
A barn swallow takes a break from hunting insects over South Quigley Lake along Ridgefield’s auto tour and puffs itself out in the rain.
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Wings Over Ridgefield
A male barn swallow stretches out its wings while perched on a cattail. All swallows have long, swept wings, but here you can see a feature unique to barn swallows: the long thin tail feathers that stick out even past the long wings.
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Hello Miss
While this female had paired with the male above, she nevertheless rebuffed his two attempts at mating (or at least having a bit of fun). Females tend to have lighter coloring in the chest than the males, which was pretty obvious in these two birds.
I took these pictures with my 500mm telephoto lens while standing on a little wooden footbridge on the Kiwa Trail at Ridgefield. Before I bought the lens a couple of years ago, I debated long and hard on whether it was a worthwhile purchase. When I get my first time machine, I’m going to pay a visit to that past self and slap him around a little bit for waiting so long, it’s become a real favorite of mine. |
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Glamorous Glennis
This front view of the torso of a barn swallow reminds me of the Bell X-1, the experimental aircraft piloted by Chuck Yeager when he first broke the sound barrier. Yeager nicknamed the plane "Glamorous Glennis" after his wife. The X-1 was designed to go fast and little else, while the swallow's wings and tail evolved to let it be both fast and maneuverable as it hunts for insects on the wing.
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George, I'm Hungry!
The amount of energy it takes parents to feed their hungry hatchlings is astounding. These three birds have grown from hatchlings to fledglings. In between feedings, they would prepare for their eventual first flight by standing on the edge of the nest and flapping their wings rapidly, often bumping into the others in the tight confines. But the moment one of the parents flew into the blind, they'd open their mouths wide, their bright orange mouths a sudden contrast to what had been just drab browns and blues.
This picture was taken in a viewing blind at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge, a little to the south of Salem, Oregon. |
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MMMMMMOOOOOOOMMMMM!
There's one in every bunch.
I can't help but think back to my childhood, riding in the old Chevy station wagon, invisible lines drawn between the seats to keep you from poking your siblings on a long trip. You'd put your finger as close as possible to that line, hovering in the air for no purpose other than to drive your siblings crazy, keeping the letter of the law but violating its spirit. |