Total Pageviews

Followers

Translate

Tuesday 27 May 2014

Barn Swallow [Hirundo rustica]


Swallows are small birds with dark, glossy-blue backs, red throats, pale underparts and long tail streamers. They are extremely agile in flight and spend most of their time on the wing. They are widespread breeding birds in the Northern Hemisphere, migrating south in winter.
Swallow numbers in the UK have fluctuated over the last 30 years with pronounced regional variation in trends. The species is amber listed due to population declines across Europe. [RSPB]








46 comments:

  1. Marvelous photos of this wonderful swallow. Amazing !
    Best regards, Synnöve

    ReplyDelete
  2. Terrific close-ups. love that tail!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Bob....They reminds me so of what we call Barn Swallow except they don't have that lovely long tail !!
    Nice photo's of this cute fella!! Swallow are great fun to watch, but you can just a bought twist your head of trying to follow them in flight!! lol : )
    What a shame that they are in decline!!

    Grace

    Great music, what else can you expect from Neil!! Love the cray video with it to!! : )

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful photos of the Barn Swallow, Bob.
    All perfectly photographed.
    Greetings Irma

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lieber Bob,
    irgendwie paßt die ausgesuchte Musik
    zu diesen quierligen Schwalben.
    Du hast so tolle aufnahmen gemacht. So
    nah habe ich die Schwalben noch nie gesehen.
    Einen angenehmen Abend wünscht dir
    Irmi

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow!! your barn swallows have incredible long tails! yes, as they say, great minds think alike. ;) both long tailed birds sitting on a wire and both great bug eaters!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ik zou er maar niet helemaal onder gaan staan Bob.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Muy buenas fotografías de la golondrina, un ave muy querida y arraigada en la cultura popular de las zonas rurales en España. Un abrazo,

    ReplyDelete
  9. Woauouh!!! I love this bird and and your photos are wonderfull!!!
    Nine years ago, they were nestled in a nest at home, over the front door. Unfortunately they did not came back the years after ...
    So sad that the population declines...
    Have a nice week, Bob!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, you seem to have a virus, please could you take a look?

      Delete
    2. A virus? ... I am ok to take a look , but where? What did you say that ?

      Delete
    3. It seems alright now, but it was not accordingly by my antivirus. I am terribly sorry, to say that.

      Delete
    4. Ok Bob, what was your antivirus saying about my blog exactly ?
      Please, could you tell me if it arrives a new time? Thanks a lot.
      And please don't be sorry , on the contrary, it is very nice of you to inform me and it's a pleasure for me if I can fix a problem antwhere with your informations.
      Thanks a lot.

      Delete
    5. It said, 'a virus has been detected'. Now, there is nothing. What did you do?

      Delete
  10. Wonderful images of one of my favourite birds Bob...

    ReplyDelete
  11. yes they are back for summertime ! so beautiful these images

    ReplyDelete
  12. The quintessential summer visitor. Superb images Bob.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hola Bob bonitas imagenes de esta ave que esta en declive en toda Europa,solo aqui en España en las ultimas decadas se han perdido 20.000,000 de individuos es una lastima que en poco tiempo nos quedaremos sin Golondrinas.Un abrazo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bob, great captures! I've never seen a Swallow with a tail that long!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bob, are Barn Swallows the only ones we get here? I have a friend just outside York and he has only two this year. Last year there must have been forty once the females arrived. The males arrive first i think.
    I understand it depends much on the route they take from South Africa. If they fly over Malta they will be decimated by nets and guns.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We can get the Red-rumped Swallow, but harder to see. I have never seen one. 2 years ago, there is one in Lydney, my town, I still couldn't catch it.

      Delete
  16. Wonderful photos Bob!!Excellent shots!I like the swallow birds!We have three species off the swallow bird!
    In March they arrive in my country!!
    Dimi...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we do as well, but, this year was absolutely treacherous.

      Delete
  17. Superb photos of a wonderful bird!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. enjoyed...don't see these guys here-bouts

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a stunner. And I am sorry to hear that yet another bird is on that list. Too many birds, too many species, and we are largely to blame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's really the fault of us, building houses, factories, etc EC.

      Delete
  20. This is sad news, Bob.
    We have 6 Barn Swallow families this year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used to be that sitting on a wire, about 50 of them, now, I saw 2. Tragic, thanks Lisa.

      Delete
  21. The Barn Swallows are cute! I have never seen one with a tail that long. Great shots!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I agree with Lisa that it is sad. I saw them when visiting Scotland several years ago, and we had 4 as we went along the Tarcoles River in Costa Rica. An elegant bird, and hopefully it will come back a little now that there is more awareness so that people can help them.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Fine swallow tails


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

    ReplyDelete
  24. Buenos disparos le has hecho a esta bonita golondrina Bob, por aquí ya están recomponiendo sus nidos de barro.

    Saludos.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Pretty swalow!!!.. Nice pics.. Congrats..

    ReplyDelete
  26. Fantastic photos of swallow! Well done, Bob!
    Greetings

    ReplyDelete
  27. Cracking Swallow photos Bob...you've captured them really well mate!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I used to see them all the time where I grew up Bob but I rarely ever see them anymore. Sad. They are beautiful birds.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Merci pour ces belles hirondelles !

    ReplyDelete
  30. Always human's fault for its decline. I hope it recovers.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Gorgeous images Bob. In Australia, we call them Welcome Swallows.

    ReplyDelete