Bay Barn Swallows a Challenge to Capture

Capture on "film" that is. Yes these small birds are really fast as they dart through the sky, skim the water and dive under a dock in their pursuit of bugs to eat.

While photographing the Ospreys seen in my previous post near my parents' house on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia another feathered friend caught my eye. I had no success trying to focus on one in flight and get its picture.  So then I got smarter and focused on a section of dock where the birds would occasionally fly.

I set my camera to burst mode and started firing away- click, click, click- when a few of the birds looked like they would go under the dock.

Alas, I had some success. I was determined in this effort because I thought this bird with a forked tail may be a first-time "lifer" bird for me.

Santee Coastal Reserve WMA

I came across a "kettle" of Barn Swallows last month while exploring the Santee River region north of McClellanville, S.C. I was driving toward the Intracoastal Waterway to see if the ferry was running to the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center (it wasn't- it only operates certain times of the year)

A nice spot this ferry landing!

If only I had my own boat! 

The ferry to the Yawkey Center- I tried to get the guy to take me across but no luck there