TomKal foto

Returning from unsuccessful outdoor session (spotter crake), I stopped for a moment at the power line, on which sat a lot of Swallows. Among them there was the Sand Martin, which I had not photographed. Unfortunately, the lack of light and the overwhelming drizzle did not allow me to perform better pictures. Again, another start gallery of the new species is initiated with a number of documentary photographs. The weight of these birds is a few grams and a wingspan is less than 30 cm.
Last minute news-05/2014
I’ve added one picture of the Sand Martin I took while waiting for the European Bee-eater. I lasted some time. Finally, it turned out that underground tunnels belong not to the European Bee-eater, but to the Sand Martin.
Last minute news - 01/2015 - Argentina
In Poland I haven’t managed to take such close-ups of a sand martin as I did in Argentina. Sadly I had only one encounter with sand martin and unfortunately it sat down on a concrete post. I hope the contents of this gallery will change as even the few photos taken in Argentina introduce much difference to the so far mostly documentary gallery.
Last minute news 06/2015
It was quite a big surprise to me when I  found a colony of sand martins literally 3 meters from the fairly busy sidewalk full of pedestrians. 2-3 meters down towards the river, on a slope, just in the vertical sandy walls some holes bored in sand could be seen where at the end of the tunnels sand martins have their nests. Everything is in miniature because these vertical walls were teen, sometimes twenty or so centimeters high and  I could watch it within a few meters. When I sat on the bank of the river, the 600 lens turned out to be too long to capture the nearest hole-nests. There was no way to take dynamic shots but directing the lens at some distant places  such an opportunity arose. I saw the colony in the evening but there were quite many walkers and I decided to try again in the morning. As for  the light conditions it did not really matter because there the day lasted almost round the clock (northern Finland in June). The intensity of the light was decreasing slightly in the evening and in the morning. The session began at 5 am with recording the sound of the birds when they were coming flying. It is a pity that the sound of splashing water could not be removed and it is a bit tedious when listening. But that is how it was. I have so many images  and in term s of quality better enough to  rebuild the gallery, which is also complimented with my own sound recording.