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Birds, Insects & Bats in flight (outdoors) Page 71
Image Taken on 17 Aug 2008
at 11:51 Image of day on 03 Sep 2008
You don't often see the dark top when in flight.
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Ref: 20080903_dc1_20080817_1151_002 swallow swooping down from wire showing top view (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Jun 2018
at 12:58 Image of day on 19 Aug 2018
The evidence is there from the camera timestamps, and it is amazing that the
Swallow can twist this much in the 140mS between each frame. No wonder it is so
hard to follow them with a camera.
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Ref: 20180819_df3_20180630_1258_360-362 swallow twisting in flight 1-3 of 3 (impression montage @ 7 fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image of day on 26 Jun 2005
A dozen swallows including adults and fledglings spent an hour in
the evening light swooping over the trees and ponds collecting
insects.
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Ref: 20050626_d60_03302 3 swallows in flight 2005jun22_18-39-36 (cropped)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image of day on 14 Jun 2005
Swallows parents catch insects and feed their young while in flight.
This montage shows a feeding sequence in 6 images (viewed top left
to right, then bottom left to right) which took about 2 seconds in real time.
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Ref: 20050614_d60_03034-03039 swallows transferring food in flight montage 2005jun08_12-27-08(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Sep 2022
at 07:26 Image of day on 19 Oct 2022
We rarely see Mute Swans here, so this flyby by just this one Swan was especially welcome.
The corvids on the 11kV cables and poles couldn't care less.
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Ref: 20221019_d72_20220912_0726_245-252 swan in flight @8fps (accurate montage 1)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Sep 2022
at 07:26 Image of day on 19 Oct 2022
More Detail of the three images at the left.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20221019_d72_20220912_0726_245-247 swan in flight @8fps (accurate montage 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Jul 2021
at 16:01 Image of day on 11 Aug 2021
It seems that on this afternoon the conditions for Swifts to hunt this area were
just right. About 10 birds spent a couple of hours hunting over the farm field around
us, and sometimes over our patch.
In this first montage (probably spaced closer than reality) it interesting to
see that the wings turned vertical while the head stay horizontal.
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Ref: 20210811_d73_20210706_1601_094-097 swift banking in flight keeps head level @10fps (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jul 2019
at 12:23 Image of day on 09 Sep 2019
Another single frame with a movement blurred insect trying to avoid the Swift's flying trapdoor.
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Ref: 20190909_d72_20190722_1223_005 swift catching insect in flight 1 of 2 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Jul 2019
at 10:39 Image of day on 09 Sep 2019
Because they fly so fast, accurate montages of Swifts in flight show little detail, so
here the outer birds are brought closer to centre bird, but the centre bird and the
insect in front of it what the camera captured.
You have to be really lucky to catch the insect this close to the open beak. In
the many images we have of Swift catching insect, the beak is never open in the previous
or following frames only 0.1 seconds before or after. Wow - a real 'snapper'.
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Ref: 20190909_d72_20190721_1039_392-394 swift catching insect in flight @10fps 1-3 of 3 (close spaced montage with insect & bird)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Jun 2011
at 16:01 Image of day on 16 Jul 2011
Swifts are the most regular fly catching bird at the moment -
here a portrait with the wings catching the light nicely.
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Ref: 20110716_df1_20110607_1601_142 swift in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Jun 2011
at 13:14 Image of day on 16 Jul 2011
And here a more conventional view showing the sickle shaped wings.
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Ref: 20110716_df1_20110608_1314_123 swift in flight(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 31 May 2010
at 16:03 Image of day on 08 Jul 2010
BBC Springwatch tells us all flycatchers are late this year.
For us the number of Swifts has soared and the usual
good show of Swallows plus the odd Martin has reduced to
the odd flyover. So we make the most of the Swifts this year.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100708_df1_20100531_1603_035 swift in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 11 May 2010
at 16:57 Image of day on 14 Jun 2010
The swifts are outnumbering the swallows this year. This shot
shows the interesting stepped grey of the under-feather markings
and the wonderful long primary feathers.
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Ref: 20100614_df1_20100511_1657_589 swift in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Jun 2008
at 12:58 Image of day on 25 Jun 2008
Swifts and swallows are making intermittent appearances.
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Ref: 20080625_dc1_20080614_1258_192 swift in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Jul 2006
at 17:56 Image of day on 19 Jul 2006
Photographing birds in flight is hard, and flycatchers doubly so.
So getting even a half-decent image is a minor triumph.
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Ref: 20060719_d60_20060706_1756_632 swift in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 05 Jun 2006
at 16:28 Image of day on 13 Jun 2006
This year not many Swallows but a few swifts of which this one
is an example. The BBC Springwatch website and paperwork
packs include Swallows, Swifts and House Martins from our portfolio.
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Ref: 20060613_d10_20060605_1628_486 swift in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Jul 2016
at 17:50 Image of day on 17 Aug 2016
Alarmingly few Swifts, Swallows and Martin so far this year.
Here is a passing Swift.
 1-5 of 5 (close spaced montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20160817_df3_20160702_1750_054-065 swift in flight (selected) 1-5 of 5 (close spaced montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Aug 2015
at 15:16 Image of day on 27 Oct 2015
A Swift in flight climbing gracefully.
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Ref: 20151027_df4_20150826_1516_092-097 swift in flight 1-6 of 6 (close montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jul 2019
at 17:47 Image of day on 09 Sep 2019
More Swifts (again shown with the 10 body length between images reduced to very
little) showing the variety of wing positions in normal flight. These images are
about 0.2 seconds apart
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Ref: 20190909_df3_20190722_1747_054-059 swift in flight @ about 5 fps 1-6 of 6 (close spaced montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Jul 2021
at 17:40 Image of day on 11 Aug 2021
A Swift flying by.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20210811_d73_20210706_1740_237 swift in flight @10fps 02 of 23 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
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