How to Bathe While Flying

[Loupey]

With all the grace of skipping rocks which are too heavy to skip.

Their momentum actually takes them below the surface of the water - but only for a moment.

[slayer7124]

Interesting capture Loupey. I enjoy all the water beads in the 2nd shot. Now that I think of it, it somewhat looks like your lens got wet as if you were right up there in on the action, haha.

[Lori11]

I love it! I really like the first one

[sparkie1263]

Those barn swallows fly very fast nice captures.

[AgingEyes]

So did you into the water, Loupey?

And why do the swallows do that?

[readingr]

That's one way of getting rid of fleas and cooling down.

Nice shots.

I like Dan's take on the water on the lens.

Roger

[Loupey]

Thanks, everyone, for looking. I thought it was interesting to see something virtually invisible because of the speed at which they do it.

So did you into the water, Loupey?

And why do the swallows do that?

No, just sitting for a long time while people kept walking by wondering what I was looking at/for

I'm convinced that they do everything on the wing. Probably even copulate in air.


Although I haven't been able to photograph it yet to prove it.

[paulnj]

I have tried and tried to get shots like that to no avail. I bow to you

[Loupey]

Paul - much thanks for such nice words.

Another one from last night. This one with the 300mm (the previous 2 were with the 500mm). Was actually trying to get a "drinking" one, but got a bather instead

[Loupey]

Had a surprise visitor (Eastern Kingbird?) at the watering hole. Never been able to get this close to one before.

Anyway, he took a dip twice. This is from one run (I botched the other). I have difficulty panning when a bird hits the water - their forward speed slows so much that I overshoot them. Shot with the 300mm.

[retroactiv]

What a great series, I didn't know that birds did took a bath while in flight. I guess you learn something new everyday, I really like your second shot in your first post. Looks almost like a bird flying through heavy rain.

[AgingEyes]

Had a surprise visitor (Eastern Kingbird?) at the watering hole. Never been able to get this close to one before.

Anyway, he took a dip twice. This is from one run (I botched the other). I have difficulty panning when a bird hits the water - their forward speed slows so much that I overshoot them. Shot with the 300mm.

Wonderful Loupey!

Where I am, I've seen swallows flying over and very close to the water, but they don't seem to be doing what you're showing here. They just fly by. I wonder if it has to do with the time of the day.

And I have yet to locate a spot that allows me to be close to the bird to get shots like yours, not that I am able to do it to begin with :cryin:

[Loupey]

... I didn't know that birds did took a bath while in flight. I guess you learn something new everyday...

I didn't know either until very recently. I think it is very interesting what the camera catches when one uses very high shutter speeds. How the birds shake the water off their heads reminds me of what a dog does.

Thanks a lot of looking and commenting.

[Loupey]

Where I am, I've seen swallows flying over and very close to the water, but they don't seem to be doing what you're showing here. They just fly by. I wonder if it has to do with the time of the day.

These two sets were both taken after work around 6:00pm. It very well could be a time-sensitive behavior.

...And I have yet to locate a spot that allows me to be close to the bird to get shots like yours...

I live and work in a highly populated area (you know, one of those places where one accident can cause my 15 mile commute to take an hour to get home) so the few ponds that we do have are very small. The swallows are therefore congregated.

After a while on the bank, the birds will fly by so close sometimes that I've often wondered if I could catch them if I suddenly reached out my arm. So close in fact that I can hear them chirp and, on really quiet days, I swear I can hear their wings flap through the air. But all this makes it difficult to photograph as well. The ideal distance for shooting them is between 20' and 30' - preferrably flying exactly parallel to the bank - but they don't always cooperate

[AgingEyes]

These two sets were both taken after work around 6:00pm. It very well could be a time-sensitive behavior.

You're probably right. Last time I walked around a pond at around 4:30pm, I didn't see any swallows flying around. I thought there was none in that area. But when it came about 6:00 pm, suddenly they appeared and they flew very low above the water. Not bathing or drinking though.

...The ideal distance for shooting them is between 20' and 30' - preferrably flying exactly parallel to the bank - but they don't always cooperate

Thanks for the tip!

[paulnj]

Damn you loupey! I can't get a kingbird do it that either.