A summer migrant we’ve mentioned more than once in the last few days, the Red-rumped Swallow is very much a bird of the Mediterranean and a welcome addition to the swirling hirundine community that is rapidly filling our skies. With a little patience they can be picked out from a mixed flock, and they have their own tell-tale plumage and markings. Kiersten snapped these fabulous shots today and they illustrate some key points perfectly. Note the uniformly solid black tails of the birds in the first image and how they appear almost to be “stuck on” the buff-white bodies. There’s a clear view of the pale, reddish cheeks and neck on the lower of the two birds too…immediately distinguishing this species from the much darker Barn Swallow.
A great action shot, this second image! You’d think maybe we had less to work with, but once again there are key details. A closer look at the bird in the top of the image once again shows that distinctive black tail, and also the orange-red of the rump, framed by the buff-white plumage of the body. Fantastic stuff!
Less reliant on buildings for nest-sites than some hirundines, the Red-rumped Swallow will happily nest in caves and beneath natural overhangs…the cliffs and gorges of the Alpujarras provide the perfect habitat and they’ve returned in some numbers for the summer. Nice photography Kiersten! We’ll keep posting the best of the photos and all the other news as always, so please keep reading!
