Swallows

These are Bug Eaters. They are probably Swallows of the Hirundo family. They are extremely difficult to photograph because of their aerial acrobatics. They fly very very fast, swooping and diving.

They arrived in Águas da Prata in large numbers last week, in early September. Some stay around all year but the show up in large numbers in Spring.

They are most welcome here because they eat bugs. They eat while flying and there are hundreds of them flying around the trees in the square just a half block from our house.




They are very small and these photos were taken with a telephoto lens. I have many photos of empty sky. It is difficult to track them.




Some times I see dozens and by the time I click the shutter they have flown out of view.




Here are a series of photos showing their aerobatics.





























This is a rare photo of them sitting still.




The one time you are sure to see many sitting still is when a storm is beginning. When storms approach they are very busy catching insects. They gather in large flocks on the wires across the street from our house.

On some occasions there wires are so full of swallows some must fly continuously awaiting a place to sit. What a party!

Because they are so difficult to photograph I have not been able to get a good closeup of a swallow.



Photos by Urso Branco