Look up and see the swallows

Look Up - Photograph available from my Etsy shop

I've become a bird watcher!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about seeing swallow chicks waiting to be fed. I was thrilled to see what I thought was an unusual sight, I've been told these birds only stop flying to raise their young, they even sleep while flying!

But since I first became aware of the swallows, I'm seeing increasing numbers of them sitting on the telegraph wires chirping and socializing, and I'm beginning to wonder if they sleep on the wires at night.

This evening I'll take a torch and have a look, I'll report back tomorrow.

Swallows and power lines (Golondrinas)

When I look up I see power lines and (in summer) swallows.

There are plenty of swallows around at the moment. I used to think that they had one clutch of chicks a year, but I was wrong. I've just read that swallows continue to breed as long as there's plenty of food, rearing up to 4 clutches of chicks a year.

I've also just discovered that when they leave the nest for the first time the chicks sit on power lines and are fed insects by their parents. So last week I spent some time stalking swallows with my camera. The framed photo above captures the essense of the feeding scene, the power lines and the morning sky at this time of the year.

The above photo is now sold but there is another in my Etsy shop.