House martins, swifts and friends in flight

[colincurry]

We are blessed with plenty of house martins and swifts wheeling around overhead at a vast rate of knots.

We have had a couple of days with clear skies, and I have been amusing my trying to capture these birds in flight. I say 'amusing', sometimes it has been very frustrating; but it keeps me off the streets.

Here are some of the better snaps







and now, one of the friends







I think this might be a P51b



and some more swift shots







Just a bit of fun (and practice)

Colin

[Jonners]

Great shots, Colin. I bet the fixed wings were considerably easier. I've tried photographing swallows before and it is extremely difficult so well done. I guess your autofocus is very quick. Well done Colin.

[cutecoot]

I've been trying to do that too, Colin, without much success . I lay back on my sun lounger in the garden with my camera and try and track them but they are much too fast for me! (Plus I need a bigger lens as they are too high up!)

We have swifts, swallows and martins in the sky here, and I was pleased to see, when I was driving down my road a couple of days back, that the martins were flying lower down and seemed to be going under the eaves of some houses .. and this is a fairly newish housing development .. so hopefully they are becoming established here and using it as a nesting site. Hope they come to my house soon!

[pegasus]

Hi Colin, Thanks for the great pics.Incidentally, I wonder whether it was a P-47 Thunderbolt rather than a P-52 Mustang?---and what was it doing flying over your house?---Anyway a great shortage of house martins around here sadly[and world war2 fighters!]

[cutecoot]

We have the planes too, pegasus .. get all sorts coming over from Sywell aerodrome .. love seeing them!

[bobbarber]

Great flight shots colin, you say it can be frustrating, I nearly always fall over, not good for a man of my years ...Bob

[cutecoot]

Get yourself a sunlounger, Bob

[John]

Well done Colin

I have been trying for these shots as well, albeit with very little success. Some good shots there, especially the last House Martin flight shot.

John

[colincurry]

Thanks everyone.

I have not yet tried the sun lounger approach!

The plane is probably based at Duxford which is not far away. My tentative ID was based on the list of planes based there; but I really have no idea.

Colin

[bobbarber]

Originally Posted by cutecoot

Get yourself a sunlounger, Bob

A sunlounger! a sunlounger!, I think you`ve cracked it cutecoot, and it fits in so well with my life style ...Bob