Barn Swallow Gallery

Swallowing

I've been making an effort for head shots in my wildlife photography the past year or two, so when the barn swallow came to an even closer perch, I took some full-body portraits then threw on the tele-converter and a bunch of extension tubes for some tight close-ups. It didn't stay still for long, and the rain had eased off, so I didn't get a chance to photograph it with a heavy buildup of raindrops on its feathers. But I was thankful for my only opportunity this spring for such a close view of a remarkable little bird.

A barn swallow rests on a snag at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

A Day for Boolies

While I do photograph on sunny days, at least early and late when the light is nice, make no mistake that rainy days at Ridgefield are my favorite. On this day in mid-May, despite many birds migrating through, I arrived early and didn't see another car for the first two hours, and the rest of the day traffic was much lower than normal. When the showers got heavy this barn swallow paused from hunting for insects above Long Lake, perching on one of the many snags in the lake, and let me show off Ridgefield in the rain.

Not Singing

Both of these pictures were taken in the spring when many birds around Ridgefield were singing, one on a overcast day and one on a sunny day. Even though these male swallows may appear to be singing, they were only opening their mouths for a brief period after resting on the cattails.

A male barn swallow perches on a cattail with its mouth open at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Working On A Building

This male and female pair were building a nest under a footbridge at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. When they returned with fresh mud and plants, they’d sometimes perch on the cattails if the other swallow was already in the nest, giving me a chance for a close-up view. Males and females are similar in appearance but males tend to have darker chests, in this case the difference was apparent especially when the birds were side-by-side.

A close-up of a male barn swallow with mud on his beak at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

A close-up of a female barn swallow with mud on her beak at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Mud Home

A barn swallow sits on its nest made of mud at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The old blind used to be a great place to watch for barn swallows in the spring, dozens of mud nests were built in and around the blind and if you stood quietly in the dark, the swallows would come buzzing past at high speed with insects to feed the young. Outside, you could watch the swallows in calmer circumstances a few feet away, perched in an adjacent tree. However, when the blind was replaced with a new design, the changes didn't appeal to the swallows and they rarely nest there now.

A barn swallow perches in a tree at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Puffball

In the air, swallows have a sleek, aerodynamic shape designed for close maneuvering so they can catch insects in flight. You’d never know it from looking at these little puffballs, with their feathers puffed out they give a false impression of being rather plump. Many birds will do this when they are cold to create pockets of warm air, much like a hiker dressing in layers.

A barn swallow sits atop a cattail at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

A barn swallow sits atop a cattail with a stick in his mouth at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

A barn swallow sits atop a cattail in the rain at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

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.

A male barn swallow spreads its wings while perched on a cattail at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

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.

Preening

A barn swallow preens one of his long wing feathers by dragging it through his bill. The action was so fast that I didn’t realize he had a single feather pulled out until I got home and saw the picture. While he cleaned his wings, there was one part of his body that didn’t get cleaned (and you can see it in the pictures): there’s a bit of dried mud on the beak itself.

A male barn swallow preens one of its wing feathers while perched on a cattail at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

A female barn swallow perches on a cattail at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

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.

A barn swallow stretches out its wings while perched on a cattail at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

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.

Three hungry barn swallow babies sit in their nest with their mouths wide open when they hear a parent approach at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge

George, I'm Hungry!

I don't think I've ever taken a good picture out of a viewing blind, but I've taken some nice ones inside them. The old blind at Ridgefield was a fantastic place to watch barn swallows in the spring, as over a dozen parents would build nests in or outside the blind, and the nearby trees provided good perching spots. The new blind, however, must not be to their liking as there are no more nests.

This blind was at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge just to the south of Salem, Oregon, where a single barn swallow nest was inside the blind. There was plenty of room for me to hang out on the opposite side of the blind and watch the swallows swoop in to feed the nestlings.

The amount of energy it takes parents to feed their hungry young is astounding. These three birds have grown from hatchlings and are almost ready to fledge. 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 sit back down with mouths open wide, their bright orange mouths a sudden contrast to what had been just drab browns and blues.

Three barn swallow nestlings, one with its mouth wide open, sit in their nest at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge

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.

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July 30, 2011