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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Birds - Swift Page 1
Image Taken on 09 Aug 2010
at 11:18 Image of day on 23 Sep 2010
We put the moth trap out Sunday-Monday night and caught something like 1000 insects!
Many wouldn't oblige in our flight kit, but some did.
This lovely little 'Orange swift moth' obliged with just this one image.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100923_da1_20100809_1118_101+1231_228_ft1 orange swift moth in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Jul 2006
at 23:57 Image of day on 02 Aug 2006
A chance image of a Orange Swift Moth (Male) as it flew by.
Rarely seen with wings spread, identification books always
show it with the wings folded down the body.
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Ref: 20060802_d3e_20060720_2357_018 fb1 orange swift moth male in flight(r+mb id@576).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.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
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.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
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.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
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.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
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.
.jpg)
Ref: 20060613_d10_20060605_1628_486 swift in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 31 May 2010
at 16:05 Image of day on 08 Jul 2010
We are trying to catch the moment of an insect about to go into
a flycatchers beak. During this attempt we got this unusual
sequence of what we think is a swallow reaching way up
to catch an insect. Probably about 200mS between images
with arbitrary positions.
We guess that the insect was hidden by the right wing of the first image,
and inside the beak by the second!
 1-3 of 3 (arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100708_df1_20100531_1605_088-090 swift in flight arching back & opening beak to catch insect (q) 1-3 of 3 (arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jun 2011
at 13:37 Image of day on 29 Jul 2011
Swifts are normally photographed as sickle shapes, but they
have a full range of wing movements, here caught near the top
of its wing stroke.
.jpg)
Ref: 20110729_df1_20110622_1337_290 swift in flight at top of wing stroke(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 04 May 2010
at 15:11 Image of day on 10 Jun 2010
The swifts have been mostly flying very high but have
occasionally come low enough to be much better than 'specks in
the sky'. With naked eye they tend to appear as black silhouettes
but a camera with exposure locked to prevent the sky forcing
underexposure it can show the subtle grey markings.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100610_df1_20100504_1511_119 swift in flight overhead (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 May 2008
at 17:45 Image of day on 29 May 2008
Some swifts did a few low circles. Here one has it's mouth open to
catch the insects it feeds on.
.jpg)
Ref: 20080529_dc1_20080520_1745_050 swift in flight overhead with beak open(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jun 2011
at 13:37 Image of day on 29 Jul 2011
No this isn't turned sideways!
The swift was sweeping up to catch an insect
(not big enough to spot even in the original).
(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20110729_df1_20110622_1337_238 swift in flight reaching up for insect (unprocessed crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 18 May 2007
at 17:53 Image of day on 06 Jun 2007
We have been visited by swifts more than in previous years.
On one of the few bright days we managed to photograph
this one with its beak open collecting insects.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20070606_d10_20070518_1753_014 swift with open beak (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 31 May 2011
at 13:10 Image of day on 30 Jun 2011
Swifts are the fly-catching bird of the moment.
Here is a little celebration. At left the beak is open and it is either about to
catch or has just caught an insect.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20110630_df1_20110531_1310_337+1312_394+397 3 views of swift in flight (arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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