A touch of iridescence

On a day of nothing but very distant birds, which I was unable to photograph, a pair of beautiful little Tree Swallows appeared within camera reach : ) Taken on a full day out, on 8 May 2014, with a group of friends, driving around Frank Lake to see what birds we could find. A total of 53 species was found, though without binoculars, I did miss many of them. One highlight was a very distant Clark's Grebe, which I had only ever seen once before (at Carburn Park in Calgary).

"Handsome aerialists with deep-blue iridescent backs and clean white fronts, Tree Swallows are a familiar sight in summer fields and wetlands across northern North America. They chase after flying insects with acrobatic twists and turns, their steely blue-green feathers flashing in the sunlight. Tree Swallows nest in tree cavities; they also readily take up residence in nest boxes. This habit has allowed scientists to study their breeding biology in detail, and makes them a great addition to many a homeowner’s yard or field." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tree_swallow/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_swallow