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Inspiring and Supporting Photographers of Australian Birds

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Welcome Swallow

Welcome Swallow (Image ID 45327)
Photographed byMichael Hamel-Green on Wed 10th Mar, 2021 and uploaded on Sun 14th Mar, 2021 .
Resolution1400x827
Viewed291
ID45327
CommentSometimes birds can spring a surprise on you. I stepped out of my car to take some photos of some lapwings I saw on the T-Section Lagoon, walked a few metres away to take a photo, and then turned back to see that a whole group of Welcome Swallows had lost no time in taking over my car. Sitting on the top, perched on side mirrors, arguing over the best perch spots, coming and going. They allowed me to come quite close before they flew off. There were thousands of Welcome Swallows in the vicinity, no doubt feeding on the swarms of huge mosquitoes (a centimetre or more long) that seem to infest this spot (birders beware, don’t forget your insect repellent). I had been trying vainly for over a year to get a good photo of a Welcome Swallow in flight, yet here they were, coming to me, or rather to my car. Not the most natural of settings but I did catch this juvenile in mid-flight. Why so keen to perch on my car? Apparently Welcome Swallows stay in the air for half an hour or more to catch insects on the wing and are more than happy to take a rest on any convenient perch to hand. Any port in a storm, any car roof in a swarm.
EquipmentNikonZ7ii Nikon 300mm f4 PF TC1.4 420mm ISO 1250 1/2500th f8
LocationWerribee Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
Keywordsjuvenile, in flight
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