The Flickr Langdistansetrekkfugler Image Generatr

As I wrote yesterday, I saw both sand martins (sandsvaler in Norwegian) and barn swallows, like this one from our island last year (Hirundo rustica, låvesvale in Norwegian), for the first time this year yesterday. They were my bird species number 148 and 149 of the year.

I ended the afternoon by getting the very rare alpine swift (alpeseiler in Norwegian) as a special number 150. It was found on Jæren when my friend and I were nearby. A lot of birdwatchers gathered to see it, since it can be a decade between its visits in Norway. (It breeds in the mountains from southern Europe to the Himalayas.) I got some nice photos of it in flight, that I will show later on.

My album of birds here.

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Until 6 months ago, I had only seen common greenshanks (Tringa nebularia) from a distance, in our neighbourhood and on Jæren.

But on the first day at home after my summer vacation last year, this greenshank and some dunlins (myrsniper in Norwegian) had come for a break during migration, already in the start of August.

I managed to sneak unnoticed behind some rocks down to the beach, and the greenshank let me get photos and videos that I had only dreamed of since my first time seeing the species three years earlier.

It is a subarctic bird, breeding from northern Scotland eastwards across northern Europe and east across the Palearctic. It winters in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Australasia, usually on fresh water. It breeds on dry ground near marshy areas, laying about four eggs in a ground scrape.

(Gluttsnipe in Norwegian)

Check out some more photos of it in the links below the line!

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Last year, I photographed barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) both in Norway, Greece and Kenya.

This one collected nest materials in a pond on a dirt road in Greece in May.

(Låvesvale in Norwegian)

My album of photos from Greece here.

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As I wrote on the sand martin family upload last weekend - this past summer I photographed families of all three Norwegian swallow species on the island I'm from.

This barn swallow family (Hirundo rustica) stayed outside my parents' neighbours' house.

The two parents fed their six young ones one by one, who were able to fly already.

There were also more barn swallows there, flying and hunting insects in a fascinating repeating pattern along the ground. You often need to find their pattern or have them sitting still to get usable photos of these fast birds.

(Låvesvale-familie in Norwegian)

Check out many more photos of them in the links below the line!

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I have just been out getting great photos of sand martins (Riparia riparia) feeding their big chicks in the nest openings, in two gravel pits that I just found out about on the island I'm from.

The one place I knew about from before, sadly got destroyed due to construction work before the breeding season.

But now I finally got to see and photograph their chicks for the first time, by using the car as a hide.

As usual, I have portrait assignments to finish before I can edit new bird photos, but I hadn't uploaded my first sand martin photos from some years ago either, so here is one of them instead.

This is from the only time I've seen one on the island where I live, that hunted together with the usual barn swallows on our island.

(Sandsvale in Norwegian)

Check out the rest of the sand martin photos I've uploaded to the links below the line!

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Some days ago I saw the first barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) this year, hunting for insects outside our house.

I knew that they and the other common swallow species had been reported back already, but it's something special when you see them for the first time that year yourself, as that delightful proof of spring.

Since I haven't photographed them yet- here is one from the archive.

(Låvesvale in Norwegian)

Check out more photos of them in the lnks below the line!

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I finally got a usable photo of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) in flight as well during 2022.

They are hard to catch in their quick flight for insects above the water. I finally found a spot where it was pretty easy to follow their route for a good result.

(Låvesvale in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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It's hard to get photos of the fast-flying barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), but I have succeeded a few times.

During the last few days, I have seen several barn swallows flying together, catching food before their long journey to tropical- and southern Africa that starts these days.

(Låvesvale in Norwegian)

I have more photos of them in the links below the line.

My album of birds and nests here.

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Now the beautiful sedge warblers (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) are back, all the way from south of the Sahara.

Today I met lots of them, on a fun day photographing and looking for birds on many nice spots on Jæren, together with a new friend of mine. (I also got better photos than before of sand martins/bank swallows and the horned grebe today.)

Since I rarely have the time to edit new photos right away, this is an unused from where I live one year ago - from my first time seeing them.

(Sivsanger in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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One of several barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) that nests in boathouses in my neighborhood these days. Even more of them nest inside barns and garages.

My album of birds here.

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