Over the beginning of COVID, back in my childhood home when I started birding, there was a colony of barn swallows that would begin congregating in the spring. Walking my dog in the later afternoons, I'd see their flitting about the drying-up ponds next to my house. Come late spring I'd see them queued up around the edges of what little water there was in the pond. They'd have their wings propped up, collecting dabbles of mud with their mouth, flying back and forth between these puddles of mud and the crevices under the bridge that linked to the little city-trail that followed the river. Come summer on my walks I'd hear more and more of their sweet liquid-metallic twittering, as the nestlings tucked into those mud nests under the bridge cried out for food. And I'd see the swirling tumbling flight of their parents--a flight that looked both frantic but perfectly calm--silhouetting the light from the orange afternoon sun, bringing food from out of the air back to their little nestlings. My dog and I would sit and watch in the shade for half hours at a time. They made those memories of those seasons so much fonder.
That was a sweet description of fond memories, and I enjoyed reading it. You have impressive powers of description: "flight that looked both frantic but perfectly calm". That's more than accurate; it's a fine observation. So if anybody would appreciate the two movies I've done about Barn Swallows, it would be you. One is about them nesting--ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HSAsrIcVE1g.htmlsi=PCr_YCW4jYTQCWI9--and the other is about their agile flight--ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LBWuliAxypY.htmlsi=FMi1sCKg6jc5_JpC
Thank you for making this nice video. I see Swallows flying along, and chasing insects, at a river that's situated in a gorge. I think they are Cliff Swallows. I managed to get a couple of pictures of them. They move so fast, that photographing them in that gorge is difficult for me. The trees and cliffs create a lot of shade. It is wonderful place with very nice scenery.
Swallows are a challenge to film or photograph because they're not only fast, they're erratic. So believe me when I say I know what you mean. If those are Cliff Swallows you're seeing, you might be able to see the buff patch just above their tails. That'd be your best chance at IDing them. Or you might see them go for their nests. They build mud nests under overhangs. Of course so do Barn Swallows. And I'm betting you have no chance to get down into the gorge and look up at the kind of nests they go to. Bottom line, I guess, is enjoy them, whatever they are.
Wait, Lina. Are you saying that you're commenting BEFORE watching the movie? That might be a first in my experience. But whatever, I'm happy to welcome you to my channel. I have videos on just about any common bird you'd like to learn about, so I hope you'll browse. Swallows are among my favorites. I just can't get enough of these agile birds.
@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME oops!😳I should have said first time here commenting! I watched one previous video (and subcribed) on how female cardinals choose their mate. Their song is beautiful.🎵 😍 I will be catching up in the big screen 📺☺️
@@linak7155 A-h-h. Thanks for the clarification, Lina. And yes, the big screen is how you ought to watch these swallows. Even then, they'll challenge your eyeballs to keep up.
And "as always, I thank you", Laurie for commenting. I enjoy your observations. You're the only that I can remember commenting, for example, on how the visuals match the narrative.
I love to sit on my deck in the evenings in the summer and watch the cliff swallows dart about. I often wonder where they put so many insects, they must go back to their nests stuffed. When the sun goes down and I see the first bats it’s like a single to them that it’s time to go home because they seem to just disappear. Thanks for a wonderful video and like always for letting us listen to your beautiful voice.
I didn't know how late in the evening any of them hunt because we don't get them in our yard. We do like to sit out on the patio in the summer, though, and we often see a bat or two. Love that! And it strikes me that the bats have a similar erratic way of flying. A swallow I haven't seen in decades is the first one I ever remember seeing. As a young woman, I liked floating a small river a couple of hours from here, and a few times we saw bank swallows swirling near their nests in the river bank. I wasn't a bird watcher then, but I found them thrilling. Five decades later, I wish I weren't too decrepit to go back there and see them again. Your comment got me to reminiscing---something I notice this film has prompted in you and other viewers. I've never had such a high proportion of comments be about what my viewers have loved seeing themselves. I've enjoyed their observations, just as I enjoyed what you wrote: "When the sun goes down and I see the first bats it’s like a single to them that it’s time to go home because they seem to just disappear." Oh, and thanks for the compliment on my beautiful voice.
Great video. The footage was amazing. I have attempted to photograph swallows in flight and have rarely been successful. My best attempts have been with Purple Martins, probably because they are the largest swallow I have had the opportunity to photograph.
Oh, trust me! I know how tricky they all are to photograph and film. I film them at their nests most of the time, perhaps without the nest in the picture. That way, I know where they will be, and they haven't built up enough speed to throw the focus off too much. You might notice that I have more Purple Martin footage in this video than footage of other swallows, and that's because I also find them the easiest to get crisp footage of. Anyway, thank for praising the footage I got.
Every bird has a flying level from the earth - Low level < 30 m - 30 m < medium < 500 m - high level >500 And the swollows are very special birds because they are Low level and medium level birds Its so hard to fly in Low level with its flying duration this is needs more energy to do that but its body and structure makes that very easy
😍 it's in time one if my art work is a swallowart vintage textile or minliary quilt .sfter sering on pbs the flock of swallows in flight against yellow dun red sky twist & turns to eat in mid air something l noylnot forgotten yet as another pbs shiwed cave swallows hiw they build their nest & a prized resource by locals in their cusin or to sell for 🤑🤑climb on narrow long 🪜 💰 tied around eaist or over one shoulder to gather this gel like in gelatin. 🥰 the river walks ar certain time of the day maybe twice aday flying to catch a meal The 🖖 continues with you & yours creative film 🎥 of these treasures of the natural 🌎🌍 🗽🇺🇸🦅024🐉
I can see by your description " in flight against yellow dun red sky twist & turns to eat in mid air " that you appreciate these wonderful birds, Kirsten.
