My day begins at dawn every day. I have an alarm but it never goes off as my security detail (BJ) rousts me out about fifteen minutes early. I think he hates that alarm! A quick check proves my feeder birds begin before the Sun comes up. They don’t eat worms but are apparently hungry by first light. Often as not Doves are the first to arrive. Finches, Chickadee, Titmouse, Cardinals, Nuthatches, Downy, and Red Bellied Woodpeckers are not far behind. Many other species visit as well, just not this early or on such a regular basis. The Lark Sparrows have yet to cast a shadow at my feeders.
Once dressed and my coffee mug is filled I step out the door to offer thanks to the Rising Sun for having the opportunity to do so one more time. Come along, but you better strap in for an all day event. I’ve been saving up a few months for this marathon!
American Goldfinch during molt.
The Indigos are Bunting, but...
the cupboard was bare!
Getting a fresh cake in the feeder goes on the to-do list for after all the horses are taken care of.
Molting Cardinals. When feathers get loose they itch, and when birds itch they scratch it! They BIF was a quickdraw moment but molt mode is evident. Bigger
Bluebird comp. He is one shy customer. If* I get a good one of him it will undoubtedly be at long range.
I was just about to step out the side door when I noticed these two whitetail bucks in velvet standing between the pond and upper barn. They saw me too and took off into the main pasture instead of the thoroughbred pasture which was their original intent.
Once dressed and my coffee mug is filled I step out the door to give thanks to the Rising Sun for having the opportunity to do so one more time. One thing I am extremely thankful for is that I can get all the pictures you will see in this diary without ever being more than 150 walking yards away from my cabin. Didn’t use one drop of fossil fuel doing it. A perk of being a country recluse.
Now it’s time to be off for the main barn to feed the horses who have already been calling me from their stalls inside. I also feed Pepper the cat up in the barn loft. While taking care of Pepper I look through the screened openings to check all the Barn Swallow nests visible from there to see that the females are tending to their duties. They always are. Then it’s off to the upper barn we go, passing the pond on the way. I brought the camera along on this occasion, which was a stroke of good luck. I saw something happening in the corner I use for sitting on my bucket while waiting for a chance for a Swallow Shining Moment. I climbed up on the gate into the upper barn area and tuned my camera in on three birds perched at the waters edge.
Harris Sparrows contemplating a cleanup.
I saw water droplets gleaming in the air so I immediately thought of Jeff’s Bucket about bathing birds.
They quickly got down to business, sending droplets flying. I didn’t know they were just getting warmed up for some serious soaking.
This is what I call a serious soaking!
After feeding at the upper barn I head back to fill that suet feeder, feed BJ, and eat some breakfast of my own. This day is off to a great start so I’m ready for what I hope turns into a busy day filled with lots of great photo chances.
And the Swallow gods said...
”Let there be light!”
The first rays of morning Sunshine are cast horizontally across the landscape. Those rays are brilliantly bright, but because the Sun is not fully risen anything that doesn’t reflect those bright rays is still in deep shadow. That creates a lot of contrast on a subject, including flying Barn Swallows. Because Swallows begin their hunting day early I thought I would try to buck the challenging light conditions to see if I could get anything worthwhile. At this stage of the year I am using Swallow BIF chances for practice to get ready for the Shining Moment season that usually begins in earnest in July. I’m pretty sure none of these will be in my Top Shelf Swallow folder, but I enjoy playing with them anyway.
Morning light beauty.
Morning light. No matter what time of day they are flying Swallows have a knack for keeping their head shadowed from camera view.
Cruising really early.
Preparing to perch in the morning light.
A favorite pose even strong backlight can’t ruin.
And there was light!
After the morning light fun I stood by the sawmill to plan some work for the day. Good time for an unexpected sequence to unfold right before my eyes! Taking a glance skyward I noticed a Vulture sailing around high over the south pasture. Then I saw some Crows flying up to hassle that Vulture. The thought crossed my mind that Crows do not bother Vultures. About that time I saw a faint glimmer of white emanating from the “vulture’s” tail, and then from its head. May the 8th and I am standing in the corral looking up at an Eagle flying very high overhead, with Crows giving it grief. It is a rarity to see an Eagle here after the Vultures have arrived.
Notice that blurry blob of a bird in the lower right corner? Don’t forget it as it will have a pertinent influence on how this saga turns out.
The Eagle wasn’t alarmed by the Crows, but it wasn’t happy about them either. It easily managed to keep a safe distance even though they were trying to make contact.
The Eagle maneuvers to foil another Crow attempt at pulling off a coup.
The Crows are persistent, and the Eagle is becoming agitated.
Remember that blurry bird from the fist photo of this sequence? It suddenly reappears and is clearly intent on what is happening. But the Cliff Swallow is not alone. It maintains safe distance, but Main Papa (chief of my Barn Swallow tribe) is instantly assertive and attacks the Crow with vigor. That is the moment my camera and I have a major disagreement. Due (I think) to lighting conditions the camera refused to fire. So, I will try to paint the finish to this unusual event with words. Main Papa literally flies frantic circles around the most offending Crow, which quickly turns out to be more than the Crow can stand.
With the Crows now totally occupied by Swallows our Eagle drops in altitude (enabling me to get a better photo!) and takes the opportunity to sail off toward the west in peace. Meanwhile the Crow/s were flustered by the diving Swallow attack. Wonder of wonders the Crows drop all the way down to seek refuge IN THE VERY SAME TREE Main Papa herded them into, one at a time, two years ago in order to create clear and open space for the young first time flyers to learn in. Remember that? Well, it worked again! But this time it was to the Eagle’s advantage. I just stood and stared, dumbfounded, at what I was witnessing...AGAIN.
But wait, there is even more to this story. Two weeks later I spotted an Eagle (same one I’m sure) cruising the airwaves over our corral and the thoroughbred pasture. And again he drew notice from some natives, but this time the Crows were nowhere to be seen.
Very high sailing Bald Eagle confronted by a force of five Swallows. 5/23/2024
Unlike the Crow’s previous strategy the Swallows were not aggressive. They simply intended to serve notice that this is their air space and because of that the Eagle needs to understand it is out of place. Can you guess which Swallow that is at the top of the image?
The Eagle offered no objection and calmly flew away back to the East. All the Swallows save one scattered to resume their hunting. The other one dove down toward my spot in the corral at a high rate of speed, but pulled up as though to impart a message directly to me.
Sure looks like a special delivery to me!
Main Papa; “Didja see that, pard? The first time was no fluke. The second time was proof, and this third time is just for good measure!”
And STILL undisputed Lord of the Summer Sky! Bigger
My primary agenda now is to sharpen up on Swallow BIFs in order to get ready for what happens when the weather really heats up and they begin to dip with regularity. Right now I am way low on the curve, especially compared to what I managed a couple years ago. Here are some of my better BIF practice shots to date this year.
First attempts of a new year usually result in frustration with Barn Swallows so I head down to the River bridge to try my hand with the Cliff Swallows who nest there.
This comp provides an opportunity to compare Barn Swallow to Cliff Swallow shoulder and back design similarity. Swallows tribes are all related. Even though each has it’s own characteristics they also share commonalities. I relate to them as a possible example for our Lakota/Dakota/Nakota tribal structure of seven council fires. ZOOM
Okay, I’m all set to try my hand with the Barnies!
Vacating their perch on the line at the same time. ZOOM
I like catching them in pairs as there is always a chance they will interact.
Too late for interaction this time as the bird on the left already caught the bug! ZOOM
Incredibly athletic flexion by the bird on the left. Each wing is doing something different than the other one and the backbend with extreme tail lift makes me hurt just to think about. Possibly the same pair as above but on a difference occasion. + is way too much. Bigger
My favorite pose is any that shows off the Barn Swallows signature tail all fanned out.
Barn Swallow playing the feather game. I think this is Crazy Bird and I wager that feather ended up as part of her nest.
A successful Barn Swallow hunter.
Main Papa (right) exercising with one of his favorite ladies. I like this one even though the light is not good. I will enlarge and make a cutout of Main Papa to use as a pattern to interpret in traditional form to be painted on my dance shield. Barn Swallows have been used as shield design by a number of warriors and are one of the birds held most sacred of our winged relatives.
I sprinkled some other of my favorite new images in other parts of the story. That brings us to the “Getting to Know You” sections of this DC. Main Papa has already played a significant role, so now we will look at some behavioral collections of two core members of our local Barn Swallow tribe. That would be my hero Crazy Bird, and the younger female phenom Miss Elegante.
….
Getting to Know You...Crazy Bird
I have written about Crazy Bird several times in the past. She is one of my lifetime heroes, and is a very unusual (and decidedly independent) female Barn Swallow. Today I will just show and describe recent images of Crazy Bird in daily life. One way her life is somewhat different now is that she may have inherited the position Main Mama (one of many Swallow tornado victims here last July) formerly occupied.
Portraits of Crazy Bird all spiffed and shined after finishing the dirty work and almost through the molt process.
Crazy Bird at height of molt season and not looking too happy about it.
It amazes me how even slight changes in body position can result in dramatic difference of overall presentation.
Crazy Bird during molt. Closer
Every degree of angle changes the way light reflects so it enhances iridescent views. Crazy Bird during molt. Closer
Doing the dirty work. Crazy Bird gathering mud in the corral following our biggest rain of the year. The mud will be used for nest restoration, or perhaps to assist others in building new nests to replace nests that did not survive after effects of tornado damage to the main barn.
Crazy Bird ready to depart with her load of building material. I have noticed her centerpiece necklace design can appear different depending on how she is posed. She also has a somewhat unique forehead marking but that one is hard to see well enough to use as a definitive ID signal. Really, once they are airborne it gets very difficult to identify individuals. Main Papa is the easiest because of those exceptionally long side extensions on his tail.
Airborne with the goods! I like this pic because of the way the far wing shows translucent repetition of the Barn Swallow signature tail design.
It isn’t very often you can see water running on the high grounds in our corral. The Swallows were quick and diligent to take advantage of a source of mud so close to the barn.
Crazy Bird with a load of fresh mud. Sometimes due to her too long for female tail extensions she can fool me into thinking she is a male.
Crazy Bird grabbing for a perch on the line. I showed this one in a comment a while back but the background had been spoiled when I zoomed her up to get details. So the next day I went back out to the same spot, took a couple steps forward so I couldn’t see the line in my viewfinder, and took a photo of the beautiful sky. Then I cut her out and layered her on top of that sky image so the photo looks like what it is supposed to look like! And I did that really late into last night with bleary eyes so it probably looks like I did it really late at night! LOL
Getting to Know All About You...Miss Elegante
I first introduced Miss Elegante when she was a first year flyer. She actually produced one brood of babies late last fall and is now intent on getting an earlier start. She is building a new nest and here we see her following Crazy Bird’s lead by gathering materials for that project. Elegante is longer and leaner than the other females and has no extra necklace adornment.
Elegante with some fresh fodder for her nest.
Back for more and having collected what she wants Elegante is jumping into flight to get busy on her nest.
She stays too low to the ground to say "up, up, and away". She is heading straight toward me!
Elegante swerved off toward the barn with her load. In the process she provided me with a fresh choice for space on my top shelf of Swallow BIFs. Even bigger
After her work was done Elegante headed for the pond to finish the cleanup she started while perched up on the line.
She paused while still in the air to look up and down the bank for any potential dangers before settling down right at the waters edge. You might think she was anxious to get cleaned up, but she really...
just wanted to admire herself in the mirror! I should have named her ‘Diva’.
….
That takes care of our “Get to Know You” title sessions. What say we go visit the pond? Lot more things happen at the pond than just an artsy Lark Sparrow for a cover photo. Things like six days in a row of a very shy GBH visiting…
Appy Trails Pond
This GBH is so shy it usually flies when it detects me coming through the driveway gate, before I ever even get to the pond. But I’ve tagged it twice, once while sitting at the pond when it arrived. That would be the frame to the right in the comp. I enlarged that one as it flew directly over my head low and slow, to give me a genuine GBH stink-eye!
You know it’s no mistake when you get a GBH stink-eye! ZOOM Do not click the + or it could peck your eye out!
I have a couple of non-birdies to get out of the way before we go any further.
I call this water snake “Lenny’s Pocket Pal”! I sat on my bucket very near the water’s edge and it came slithering by within a few feet of my feet. Had to use manual focus to get the pic.
I know just enough about Dragonflies to decline comment on whatever it is they are doing. However, I CAN verify they are not actually large enough to support a Swallow perched on the hindmost extremity of the caboose to this train.
That is what I call a sick segue to slide right back into the Swallow scenes! LOL
It is too early yet for the Swallow’s Shining Moment season to be underway. But they are practicing for it so so am I. These prove I have lots of ground to make up before I can deal with the challenges they present.
I timed it right to see the waterworks but way off on getting focus. The wet look
I have to get better quick!
Barn Swallow BIF makes teasing run over the pond.
Tease runs make for great practice chances.
There were lots of blurry photos taken in between these more successful attempts.
My timing too slow to get THE moment, but luckily even failure can produce some degree of success. The difference between getting a photo like this one and the last one I will show you is a mere nano-second of the trigger finger twitch.
A soon-to-be dipper shows I may be about to get the hang of this. I betcha Jeff’s pard Marie could make a nice painting of this one.
Too early on this shot but this bird was faking anyway. They do not dip unless over open water.
Perfect timing...almost! You can see its beak is in contact with the water (tip touching reflection tip). What you can’t see is that it has just finished a small dip which shows up behind it in the un-zoomed frame. At this stage I’m pleased just to get these speed demons in frame and in focus.
Cliff Swallow on the approach. Note the white design on the far wing and compare it to what you see on the Barn Swallow in the previous photo.
Last one! But it’s also the first one. I got this shot back in April, by far the earliest Shining Moment photo I have ever had a chance to take. This is a Cliff Swallow creating a fine waterworks and it sets the bar for what I have to better for this year’s OBSESSION episode.
Golden Glow of Sunset.
In the earliest stages the Golden Glow has a minor effect.
But with every passing minute the warmth of color increases.
At peak the Glow of Sunset has a profound effect.
Barn Swallows navigating in the late afternoon light.
One of our ever present Vultures even gets into the act.
Are you tired? I know I am. We started in the morning light, went through all hours of the day, and even had some left for the Golden Glow of Sunset. But I held one photo back to end this Dawn Chorus marathon. This is what you get when I haven’t done a diary for months and have lot of pic icons to clear off my desktop screen.
Crazy Bird on a last flight of the day heads off into the Sunset. That is exactly what I’m going to do, too...after I read all your outstanding comment contributions!
