A speedy little Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) was perched on a paved path at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens last Saturday and I captured this first image as it was taking off. The shot is a little blurry, but I love the the really cool shadow that the swallow was casting onto the ground. The second image shows the same swallow just before it took off and give you a better view of the coloration and markings of a Barn Swallow.
When I first spotted the birds in the final photo, I thought they might also be Barn Swallows, but when I took a closer look and did a little research, I determined that the bird on the outside of the nest was a male Purple Martin (Progne subis) and the one with her head poking out was a female Purple Martin. As far as I can recall, this is the first time that I have photographed this bird species, which is the largest swallow in our area.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
In that first photo, the shadow gives the impression that it’s going the other way.
Great shots, Mike.
Nice captures. 👍
Fabulous shots, Mike. Thank you for sharing.
Swallows in flight have to be a bit blurry… law of nature I think.
Thanks, Ted, for reminding me of a law of nature. 🙂
🤣🤣🤣
Very nice action shot!
Tough to freeze those hyper birds in midair – nice job.
It takes a lot of luck along with a bit of skill–swallows are a real challenge to photograph when they are in motion. 🙂
Oh, I love swallows (and purple martins)! Thanks for sharing.
Nice series of images Mike! Enjoyed seeing them!