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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 22 Jul 2019 at 12:23    Image of day on 09 Sep 2019

Swifts fly fast - this montage is accurately spaced (based on the tree) at about 0.1 second intervals.


Ref: 20190909_d72_20190722_1223_021-024 swift in flight @10fps 3-6 of 6 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).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!


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 18 Jul 2019 at 11:50    Image of day on 06 Sep 2019

Swifts really fly fast - this and the next sequence are photographed at about 10 fps (Frames per second). That's about 100 body lengths per second!
The detail of the bird is lost at any size of image that it is sensible to email or put on the WWW, which is why we mostly provide 'Close spaced Montages' to get a better view of the creature.


Ref: 20190906_d72_20190718_1150_067-072 swift in flight at 10fps against trees 1-6 of 6 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).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.


Ref: 20110729_df1_20110622_1337_290 swift in flight at top of wing stroke(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Jul 2021 at 17:41    Image of day on 11 Aug 2021

The bland sky prevents any attempt at 'accurately positioned', so here more closely spaced than natural for a better look at the bird.


Ref: 20210811_d73_20210706_1741_342-345 swift in flight banking toward camera @10fps 1-4 of 4 (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 May 2017 at 17:52    Image of day on 27 Jun 2017

A Swift catching an insect - beak open next to last image from the left and the tiny speck of life it consumed is just in front of the open beak. These at about 7fps so slightly less than 1 second of action here.


Ref: 20170627_df3_20170505_1752_159-164 swift in flight catching insect 2-7 of 7 (impression montage)(r+mb id@1024).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.


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.


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).


Ref: 20110729_df1_20110622_1337_238 swift in flight reaching up for insect (unprocessed crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 24 May 2016 at 12:30    Image of day on 05 Jul 2016

We often hear that Swifts spend their entire lives in flight expect when breeding, and even then have to choose high places where they can 'drop down' from to gain flight speed.
We understand that a Swift on the ground can not take off without help.
We had never really thought about what constant flight means, but it must include still having to maintain your feathers. Here over about 2 seconds the bird twists to access one of it's flight feathers, and drops a good distance in the process.


Ref: 20160705_df3_20160524_1230_070-079 swift preening in flight 01+02+04+07+10 of 10 (selected montage over about 2 seconds)(r+mb id@576).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.


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.


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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