A colony of Purple Martins patrols a stretch of wetland at Fern Ridge Reservoir near Eugene, Oregon. This one is immature… it’ll take on the more distinctive purple color later in life.
Purple Martin
May 2014- Champoeg State Park, Oregon
A Violet-green Swallow stretches its wings. These birds look similar to the more common Tree Swallow, but note how the white surrounds most of the eye. This one was hanging out with a bunch of Tree Swallows.
Violet-green Swallow
June 2008 – Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
Smith Rock State Park is a great habitat for swallows. There are plenty of steep inaccessible nesting locations, and the nearby crooked river ensures a steady supply of insects for food, and water. This was another one of those opportunistic shots – the swallow just paused for a moment…
Violet-Green Swallow
Barn Swallow
July 2012 – Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, WA
This Barn Swallow waited patiently while some human interlopers walked under its nest… brimming with little chicks.
Tree Swallow
June 2012 – Jackson Bottom, Hillsboro, Oregon
There are a lot of swallow boxes at Jackson Bottom, and consequently, a lot of Tree Swallow tenants.
Tree Swallow
June 2012 – Sauvie Island, Oregon
Appropriately, this Tree Swallow was in a tree. Sure, there were many of them flying around too, but every try to get a photo of a swallow in flight? Good luck!
Tree Swallow
May 2004 – Jackson Bottom, Hillsboro, OR
Jackson Bottom is a wetland south of Hillsboro, OR. The wetlands cover a fairly large area, but trails/paths only cover a portion of it. It’s a decent local place to see birds.
Cliff Swallow
May 2012 – Tule Lake, California
Technically, this colony of Cliff Swallows were about a mile from present-day Tule Lake, at a place called Petroglyph Point, which is associated with the nearby Lava Beds National Monument. Long ago, Tule Lake was much larger, and this cliff was on an island in the lake. The native people came out here to carve their glyphs on the rocks. But, when the white man came, he drained the lake down to a third its former size to make more farmland… and this cliff is just another random cliff in the landscape. And instead of millions of birds, we are left with thousands. So goes progress.