The gorgeous Purple Martins have returned to their summer home near the river. I saw a little bit of nest-building material being collected but mostly the swallows were zipping about catching insects when I made these photographs.
I love their songs and when you hear an entire community of them vocalizing together – especially once the young are hatched – it’s really quite a wonderful auditory experience. I’ll try to make a little recording at some point but there is a soundbite link below if you’re interested.
Click here to listen: Purple Martin Vocalizations (Soundclip from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.) Imagine perhaps 100 birds making those sounds…
It’s been so beautiful outside it’s been hard to stay indoors!
[The image with three birds is a composite (layered) image showing various flight acrobatics.]
© Karen McRae, 2014
draw and shoot 
Oh, I really love these “flight” images!
Thank you, Merilee! They are such wonderful fliers, I love watching their movements.
Your keen eye and those wild birds just grew my heart.
Those birds grow my heart too. : )
That’s a fantastic comment, Brenda, thank you.
So cute and small. Never seen or heard them before. Thanks for that link. Fun listening to them.
They are very cute! Purple Martins are a type of swallow. Thanks for your comment, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Swallows. Ahh! I’ll have to find out if they’re in my area. I only know pigeons, sparrows and mourning doves. 🙂 Oh and I’ve seen a blue jay (I think) and hawk. Now you’ve introduced me to purple martins, I’ll be on the look out. 🙂
The swooping trio are like a gorgeous dance. Just lovely.
Thank you, Jen. Yes, their arial acrobatics are amazing!
Lovely post. Really clever with the trio 🙂
Thank you, Rachel!
Very nice birds, Karen.
Thanks, Bente. They are cool birds!
love the pictures where the birds are flying! 🙂
Thank you, Emmie. For some reason I am always compelled to photograph birds in flight.Spring is perfect for it! : )
Fabulous pictures Karen. I love the movement you have captured here!
They have such beautiful form in their movements. Thank you, Adrian! : )
Brilliant pictures. I like the lushness of the birds in flight very much.
There is something about birds in flight that seems so powerful, I’m happy you like them. Thank you, Rabirius!
Marvellous imagery!
Thank you, Victor! They are great models. : )
Especially liked the second picture, of the bird soaring in air.
I like that one too, Shimon. The light worked out nicely. Thank you.
Terrific birds! Yes, I’d love to hear them if you care to make an audio. Sensational. I so want to fly with them:)
I’ll try to make an audio when the babies are in full sqwak. : )
They are sensational fliers, it would be a thrilling flying experience!
So difficult to capture!!
It did take a bit of trying, especially getting a decent manual focus – they are so fast! Lots of fun to watch.
While listening to that clip I was watching your beautiful photos giving me a near full experience. If not that, they gave me a full smile!! 🙂
I always look forward to their return and hearing the cacaphony of their communal sounds. Thanks for listening, Marina! : )
Beautiful images, Karen…and I’m right there with you…wanting to be outside. 🙂
Great capture of the sense of movement. I wish we had purple martins around here. We do have a nesting pair bluebirds in the backyard so I can’t really complain.
Beautiful.
I love the minimalism of these shots, truly beautiful. Bird song is great, I liked the audio you shared!
I’ve never heard of purple Martins. How beautiful and you make them especially so with your extraordinary ways …! Summer looks nice , nearly summer. 🙂
Oh, ils sont beau tes oiseaux…
great photos, i particularly like the composite image with the three birds in flight.
Lovely shots of the birds in flight.
I love these images, especially the three birds in flight. You really captured the sense of motion, and the idea of the lightness of little birds.
Adore the feathery lightness and motion in these great shots Karen. Happy summer ahead!
The perfect blur. And, i’d never seen an aviary condominium before… Excellent.
I love these blurred flight images, Karen, especially the composite – something I must try! Adrian
Your composite is really interesting for making the birds appear sociable – it’s as if they are striving to be together (and they obviously have a lot to say for themselves). These are great shots, Karen – really beautiful.
Beautiful movement!
Love the images of the birds in flight. Would be fab to hear a recording – a multi-sensory approach!
vv lovely, kx
Nice!
So glad you’re having a great spring – the martins in flight are just beautiful. The chirps and murmurs are somehow a comforting sound, aren’t they? Have you heard Brant murmuring to one another? Different sounds but there’s a similar companionable feeling – very much a whole made up of all these individuals, none of which needs to be “on top.”
Purple Martins is such a beautiful name and made even more beautiful by these motion picture images. The sound recording is dazzling. Such an striking contrast, their house and them sitting, with images of them in flight.
Effortless flight arcs … such beauty in these layered captures Karen .
stunning
The third image is especially fascinating! It looks almost as a triptych of the same bird caught in three different poses.
Love the ones of them in flight. They’re all very beautiful 🙂
I really love this Pictures of birds…they are so Beautiful! 🙂
Beautifil photos, and sound! I like their “appartments” too, so many balconies to sing from! Look forward to seeing more of them.
My cat was rather interested in the soundclip.