A heavy sky shrouded Halibut Point. Atmosphere and ocean merged around the Overlook jutting into the Ipswich Bay. Conditions did not meet the photographer's dream.
Scimitar-shaped bird forms darted around the promontory where I stood.
Although details were indistinct the silhouetted proportions of Chimney Swifts were clear.
 |
Chimney Swift |
Something had brought these normally high-flying birds close to ground level. That 'something' must have been insect prey invisible to me but central to their zooming lifestyle.
 |
Finely articulated feather positions |
I was getting a closer look at the swifts than I'd ever had under 'desirable' conditions. Later study of photographic images revealed some of the bird's aerodynamic intricacies. They were moving much too fast to locate in the viewfinder, so I tried shooting from the hip with the telephoto lens open as wide as possible at 1/3,200 sec, ISO 4,000. The pictures were inevitably grainy.
 |
A second species in the mix |
Some kind of swallows was also patrolling the sky, subtly different from the cigar-shaped swifts.
 |
Bank Swallow |
There was just enough clarity in the photos to recognize Bank Swallows. This was a bird I'd never seen before, another silver lining to the cloudy day.
When I returned the next day with clear skies and a light breeze there were none of these birds to be seen.
