Bird Photo Blog Northern Rough Winged Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

5/12/2018

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation.

Psalm 84:3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.

A Northern Rough-winged Swallow circling far above my house. A Life Bird photo for me!

Saturday, 6:50 AM – out on my back patio ebirding again. Started out the morning with a bird I hadn’t photographed since 1998 on a 35mm film camera. A pair of Great Crested Flycatchers stopped just momentarily high up in a Sweetgum tree, flew lower into my next door neighbor’s yard, and then were gone. A little bit later, 5 Wood Ducks flew over the house heading south to north.

Later in the day, what I thought were just the neighborhood Barn Swallows circling high up in the air turned out to be a Life Bird photo for me: Northern Rough-winged Sparrows! I’ve seen them quite a bit over the last few weeks high up on the winds, but didn’t think too much of it. But I decided to get a quick (but poor) photograph and plug it in the Merlin ID app. Bam! I'll have to try for some better shots now that I know its a newbie for me.

Athens, Clarke County, Georgia
Sunny, high 91°
Sunrise 6:35 AM, Sunset 8:24 PM
Day length: 13 hours, 49 minutes
Moon: waning crescent, 16% illumination