In bird photography timing and luck are often major players in our results.
Little birds in flight are so incredibly quick that our reflexes aren’t fast enough to pick and choose precisely what we want to photograph. All we can do is fire away and hope for the best. When there are two birds involved the potential difficulties increase almost exponentially and lots of things can (and usually do) go wrong, including:
- either or both birds are soft due to lack of sufficient depth of field or shutter speed
- clipped or cut off body parts
- poor light on the faces and/or no catch lights in the eyes
- parts of one bird are in front of (and hiding) parts of the other bird
The list is almost endless but once in a great while everything comes together.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Two months ago I photographed this perched, fledgling Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR as it was being fed by its parents. The adults would fly in and stuff insects down the throat of the youngster while hovering and then fly off again, as this parent is beginning to do. Most of my shots of the process were a jumble of blurred wings, hidden and shaded faces and clipped body parts.
But this image is one of my favorites from the session. The timing was perfect to catch both birds relatively sharp and completely separated from each other. The twisted and curved body posture of the fledgling fits perfectly within the space between the two wings of the adult. And none of the pitfalls in my list above occurred.
For me, because of the interaction between parent and youngster and the way the wings of the adult nearly enclose the fledgling, this image is almost symbolic of the nurturing and protection wild parents in all of nature provide for their offspring.
Ron
This, for all the reasons you list, needs to be published. 😀 Gorgeous.
Hi! What a beautiful photo! So great colors and forms! Have a great week!
Great shot! We had a chance to watch some almost ready to fledge Barn Swallows over the summer, and they were lots of fun. This shot allows me to relive some of those fun memories.
I like the way the adult is giving you warning look as if to say “Don’t come any closer or else…!”
Love this picture, for the same reasons you listed. I have yet to get a decent picture of the Swallows. They are so fast. Great job Ron!
Thank you, Jean.
Incredible.
You nearly missed it? Smack yourself (gently) in the head for that oversight.
This is an image which melts my hard-hearted Hannah heart.
“my hard-hearted Hannah heart”
I highly doubt that, EC. I think you’re an old softie…
Nah. Grown men pull their own heads off rather than face me in a rage (with apologies to Monty Python).
Love personified, Ron. I’ve been so impressed with the parents of the eagles I’ve watched – sitting on eggs with the parent totally buried in snow or wings spread to keep their hatchlings dry in a downpour or protected from a predator, coming to the nest 6+ times per parent to feed their hungry, greedy young ‘uns. I so agree with you about the love these parents have for their young. I have to thank the cams who have captured so many moments that I never would have seen otherwise. This photo of yours puts all of that in this capture, Ron!! One of my very favorite of yours.
“One of my very favorite of yours”
It’s one of my favorites too, Jo Ann. Thank you.
A magnificent shot! Seriously magnificent! Just love barn swallows (and every other kind of swallow and swift, and onward)
It’s wondrous how parenting is pretty universal across species. Humans could certainly learn a lot watching redtails raise their kids, for example. But there are the sea turtle (have a nice life kiddo) and guppy (eating their offspring) models to form a bell curve kind of thing from excellent parents to lousy parents, just like with humans. 😉
I’m so impressed with the ability of folks like you to a) be at the right place at the right time, b) have the available photography equipment, c) paired with the knowledge to use it, d) the sense to apply that knowledge and equipment and e) capture the wonder for all of us to see. There’s so much going on in The Great Out There that we’ve never known/seen before and folks like you go out and make it happen. THANK YOU!
Again, YOU ROCK!
Laura, yes, it’s hard to understand some of the behaviors you describe (guppies eating their babies for example but also things like male lions and bears killing young of their own kind) but we’re finally beginning to understand at least some of it I think. For those behaviors to be selected for in the wild they must have an overall survival advantage for the species. Some of it we get, some of it we don’t. Yet…
I appreciate your kind comments very much. From your list (a-d) it’s obvious that you understand some of the challenges of getting shots like this. And I also appreciate your taking the time to say so. Thank you.
This has got to be one of your all time most incredible shots! The obvious anticipation of the young bird, waiting to receive food, the hovering of a nurturing parent, the sheltering wings, like some kind of guardian angel, the frozen detail of the parent’s wings, the precarious-looking perch, the anticipatory angle and arc of the young bird as it turns toward its parent, the slightly opened beak, you even the capture of the iridescence, oil-slick blue of the parent’s upper body and head…this would be a winner in any category! I’m blown away by it !!! You must be so pleased with it you can barely stand it!!!
Yup, I’m pretty darned pleased with it, Patty. I’m glad you like it a lot too.
And to think that I almost overlooked it because I was so focused on images where the viewer could actually see the transfer of food in my previous posts. I just happened to come across it last night when I was going through some of my images.
Maybe you need to be protected from yourself! You can be dangerous without supervision…
“You can be dangerous without supervision…”
Ain’t that the truth!
Again, Patty I so admire your skill of expression. Just beautifully said!!
Thank you..I speak from the heart…whatever pops out…and whatever my evil iPad wishes to “edit”…
Great, great shot Ron.
I’m glad you like it, Ellen. Thanks.
A magnificent shot Ron! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
WOW! Great photo, Ron. 🙂 Detail is sharp, it tells a story – does look like the adult is surrounding the fledgling. The swallows with their erratic flight patterns are a challenge for sure.
“The swallows with their erratic flight patterns are a challenge for sure.”
Boy, isn’t that the truth, Judy! Thank you.
I agree. An exquisite moment, wonderfully captured! I’ll carry this image with me today. Thanks!
I hope you can enjoy it all day long, Alison. Thanks very much.