Flight Shots

It was a pretty windy day at Goose Lake Prairie yesterday, so I didn't expect to find much, but what I did find were a few species in the air. I found Killdeer, Tree Swallows and a Snipe!





I call these guys "Flying Orca's". Is it just me or do they look like a mini Killer Whale?







Common Snipe

Name Appropriate

Hmmm...A tree full of swallows...Weird...Maybe they should be named Tree Swallows...Oh wait, they already are.

It's Getting Alittle Exciting Out There!

I'm seeing new migrants every day now:



Red-breasted Nuthatch!










American White Pelicans!









Tree Swallow!









And even Painted turtles!

Sorry for the short post, sometimes work gets in the way of fun!

On Guard

Tree Swallows are such gorgeous birds. I can't help but fire off a few shots when opportunity knocks. The irridescent blues are irresistible.

Tree Swallow Territory

As their name suggests, tree swallows spend little time on the ground, preferring instead to perch. They spend much of their time in flight and tend to glide more than any other species of swallows. In order to bathe, swallows swoop down over water. They lightly brush the water and then begin to fly upwards, shaking the water off. They also bathe by preening extensively during rainfall, using it as a shower. They are strongly territorial during the breeding season. Both sexes defend an area around their nest, usually a 10 to 15 m radius, against other nest site competitors. Competition for nest sites is thought to be the underlying motive behind much of tree swallow behavior, including sexually selective infanticide, frequent copulation, and strong aggressive responses to nest site competitors.


Tree Swallows are interesting characters. While guarding their homes, they can get pretty comfortable with you near by. I set up a chair at Goose Lake Prairie State Park and waited for various shots. Watching them ward off potential intruders is a sight to see. They are extremely animated in behavior. You will witness one giving another a piece of their mind when they get too close.





There are plenty of birdhouses surrounding the lake for Swallows to occupy, which means sentry duty goes on 24/7.





The irridescent deep blue coloring makes these swallows such a handsome bird!