Barn Swallow

[Mike Poole]

There was a small grassy area where the swallows were collecting mud for a new nest. I settled onto the ground near a favoured area and did the old waiting game. There was a small indentation in the ground - no prizes for guessing where the bird went... It would have been nice to have had the feet, hopefully the pose will help pull a few marks back for the shot

Canon 1dx
500mm f4 + 1.4x ii
ISO 1600
1/1600th f5.6

Mike

[Steve Kaluski]

Excellent POV Milke, and like the Seal pup, I also like the slight head angled towards camera with the beak open.

TFS
Steve

[Daniel Cadieux]

It's not every day you see a grounded Barn Swallow. I love the head angle. Great perspective too. I agree about the feet, but had to laugh when I read about the reason for it :-)

[Stuart Philpott]

Love it Mike and your determination to "find" this.

I've always adored how you get low Mike, maybe i've never really mentioned this to you but you really got to me early on,probably when you were being only half a fish and only half in the water.... lens touching all be it water surface. i'm unsure on exacts now But you drove home pov, visually, without a word just in your images.
Barn swallows...isn't that something the yanks have? We just have swallows don't we jeepers I feel old when did that happen?

A complete joy to view as is so oft, and a very different take on a bird many of us want so much. At times it's hard looking back to my past mate, when swallows were all over our roof in swarms and I would lean from a bedroom window feet from a kidlet waiting for mum to turn up and feed on the wing. I'd kill for those chances now. The perspective the open mouth are just killer. But the grass sword perplexes me,it works for the image Mike, but too pale for life(for me even when it's real dry). I'm arguing with my self Mike ,is there a way to add some colour to the grass without killing the strength of the subject? I understand that the camera has put boundaries on you dark bird has to be exposed well for those lovely irredences you have caught, well just pondering if there could be more tis all
A belter Mike !!!

stu