It is one hell of a flier. It spends most of time in the air. Daily it can fly up to several hundred kilometers, at a speed reaching about 100 km/h. It eats insects. Unfortunately due to its small size, the great dynamics of its flight pattern, and the speed at which it moves, you have to be very lucky, patient and have the right equipment to take interesting pictures of this bird in flight. In autumn, after they raise their young, barn swallows roost on reed beds, near water reservoirs. I had the pleasure to watch such a flock of swallows that seemed to specially like a small island with reed, which was perhaps for safety reasons. Not taking the pictures on electrical wires into account, properly exposing this bird will be difficult. Swallows weigh up to 20 g, with a wingspan not exceeding 30 cm.
Last minute news 09/2013
Subject of swallows on my website seems to be a worse part of it. So far pictures have only documentary advantages and nothing more. Being stick to this infamous rule, I added another photos: swallow on a wire with the sky in the background. It is probably hard to find the worse scene, but a bit bigger close-up and we have more details of this beautiful and dynamic bird. Who knows, maybe for this gallery it will come the time of radical changes...
Last minute news 04/2014
Swallows provide quite a difficult topic to immortalize. This time, fate was not kind to me in immortalizing of this species either. Not only are they very fast-moving, but also of very small size. What is more, they almost exclusively sit on the power lines rather than in the beautiful green open air. However, when you have a small gallery with paltry photographs, each variety pleases.
Last minute news 05/2014
I’ve added several new pictures, but they are not satisfactory. Taking a photo of this lively bird is quite a challenge. The picture of it sitting on the electric cable is a rarity.
Last minute news-05/2015
This gallery still has a documentary profile. But next few images of swallows are put into the gallery and due to their dynamic behavior it is hard to have better shots. Time will tell how things turn out...
Last minute news 07/2015
At last I created some interesting pictures of the barn swallow which significantly changed the contents of the gallery. While I was waiting for a baillon’s crake, which didn’t appear too often, I had some time to take pictures of barn swallows sitting on a roadside fence. Unfortunately the curiosity of the cows grazing nearby ended the session with the bran swallow.
Last minute news - South Africa 02/2017
Last minute news - 08/2017
It is not a 4-star gallery yet, but I have finally managed to take a few dynamic shots of the barn swallow and record its voice. This was the reason for remodelling the gallery.
Last minute news -12/2018 Sri Lanka
Last minute news-Ethiopia-12/2019
Last minute news - 05/2022
Last minute news-05-2024 – Kazakhstan
Body
Republic of South Africa 02/2017 - introductory text - Livingstone's turaco
Birds-new galleries:
1.Livingstone's turaco(T,V),2.Red-billed oxpecker(T,V).3.Long-tailed widowbird (T,V),4.Cape Glossy-Starling.5.Grosbeak Weaver (T,V).6.Trumpeter Hornbill (T,V),7.Fork-tailed Drongo.8.Rufous-chested Swallow (T).9.Long-tailed Cormorant.10. Burchell's Coucal (T,V).11.Water Thick-knee (T).12.Spotted Thick-knee (T).13.African Swamphen.14. Great White Pelican.15.African Pied Wagtail (T,V).16.Crested Guineafowl (V).17.Three-banded Plover (T).18.White-fronted Plover (T).19.Pin-tailed Whydah.20.Southern Red Bishop (T,V).21.Tawny-flanked Prinia.22.Forest Weaver (T).23.Cape Weaver (T).24.Bald ibis (T). 25.African Fish Eagle,26.Dark-capped Bulbul,27.Sombre Greenbul,28.African Pied Starling,29.Black-bellied Glossy-Starling,30.Woolly-necked Stork (T).31.Blacksmith Lapwing,32.Black-headed Heron,33.Goliath Heron (T),34.Red-winged Starling,35.Yellow-billed Stork (T).36.Blue Bustard (T).37.White-faced Whistling Duck,38.Perrin's Bushshrike (V),39.Natal Francolin (T),40.Speckled Pigeon,41.Lesser Striped-Swallow, 42.Greater Striped-Swallow(V),43.Yellow-billed Duck,44.Yellow-billed Kite,45.South African Shelduck (V),46.African Stonechat,47.Cape Canary,48.Black Cuckooshrike,49.Grey Crowned-Crane (T),50.Blue Crane (T),51.Crowned Hornbill (T),52.Wahlberg's Eagle,53. Palm-nut Vulture,54.Pied Kingfisher,55.Hamerkop,56.Orange River white-eye,57.Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove,58.Southern Black-Flycatcher,59.Malachite Sunbird,60.Black-backed Puffback,61.African Golden-Weaver,62.African Jacana (V),63.African harrier-hawk.64.African Firefinch,65.Crested Barbet,66.Wailing Cisticola,67.Brown-crowned Tchagra,68.Black-winged Lapwing,69.Wattled Lapwing,70.Black Heron,71.Red-faced Mousebird,72.Speckled Mousebird,73. African Hoopoe,74.Bokmakierie Bushshrike,75.Crested Francolin (T),76.Brown Snake-Eagle,77.Spur-winged Goose,78.Gray Go-away-bird, 79.Sacred Ibis(T,V),80.Wire-tailed Swallow,81.Rufous-necked Wryneck,82.Brown-hooded Kingfisher,83.Woodland Kingfisher,84.Striped Kingfisher,85.Red-knobbed Coot,86.Blue-cheeked Bee-eater(T),87.Little Bee-eater (T),88.African Darter,89.Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill (T,V),90.Kittlitz's plover (T),91.Caspian Tern,92.White-backed Vulture,93.Red-billed Teal, 94.Purple-crested Turaco (V),95.Red-billed Quelea,96.African Yellow White-eye,97.Black-collared Barbet,98.Mocking Cliff-Chat,99.Southern Anteater-Chat,100.African Paradise-Flycatcher,101.Ring-necked Dove,102.Golden-breasted Bunting,103.Yellow-crowned Bishop,104.Yellow-throated Petronia, 105.Yellow-bellied Greenbul,106.Rattling Cisticola (V).107.White-throated Swallow.108.Red-eyed Dove.109.White-eared Barbet. 110. Plain Martin,111.Banded Martin,112.Red-backed Scrub-Robin (V),113.Southern Fiscal,114.Gray-winged Francolin (T),115.Acacia Pied Barbet,116.Glossy Ibis (T),117.Buff-streaked Bushchat,118.African Openbill (T),119.Chinspot Batis,120. Bateleur (T),121.Dideric Cuckoo,122.Yellow-fronted Canary,123.Malachite Kingfisher,124.Scarlet-chested Sunbird,125.Orange-throated Longclaw,126.Yellow-throated Longclaw,127.African Green-Pigeon,128.Cape Bunting,129.Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird,130.Variable Indigobird,131.Fan-tailed Widowbird,132.Orange Weaver,133.Long-crested Eagle,134.Cape Crow (V),135.Southern Gray-headed Sparrow,136.Cape Sparrow,137. Helmed Guineafowl.138.Green-backed Camaroptera.139.Violet-backed Starling.140 Black-bellied Glossy-Starling.
MAMMALS NEW GALLERIES: 1.Southern giraffe.2Burchell's zebra.3.Nyala.4.White rhinoceros.5.Chacma baboon.6.African Buffalo.7.Wildebeests.8.Common warthog.9.Waterbuck.10. Bushbuck.11.Vervet monkey.12.Banded mongoose.13.Impala.
REPTILIES - NEV GALLERIES: 1.Nile crocodile.2.Leopard tortoise.3.Serrated Hinged Terrapin.4.Flap-necked chameleon.
INSECT : 1. Elegant Grasshopper. 2.Plum dung beetle, and changes in the gallery of butterflies, odonata and other insects.
CHANGES IN BIRDS GALLERIES : 1.European roller (T).2 Black-winged kite.3.Amur falcon (T).4.Egyptian goose(T).5.Red-backed shrike (T).6.Hadeda ibis (T).7.Llittle egret.8.Cattle egret.9.Barn swallow.10.Squacco heron.11.Zitting cisticola (T).12.Common moorhen.13. Steppe buzzard (T).14.Sanderling (T ).15.Purple heron.16.European Bee-eater.17.Common tern. 18.Laughing Dove.19.White stork.
Go to the gallery : South Africa - F A U N A South Africa- FLORA South Africa- LANDSCAPE Cape Town
Body
Ethiopia 11/12-2019- introductory text- Prince Ruspoli's Turaco
NEW GALLERIES:
BIRDS:
1.Prince Ruspoli's Turaco (E,V,T). 2.Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse (T). 3.Arabian bustard(T). 4. Golden-breasted Starling. 5D'Arnaud's Barbet (V).6. Stresemann's Bush-Crow (E,V).7. White-cheeked Turaco (V). Temminck's Courser. 9. Cut-throat. 10.Somali Ostrich. 11.Straw-tailed Whydah(V). 12.Eastern Paradise-Whydah. 13Thick-billed Raven(E,V). 14.Sombre Chat (E,V). 15.Rouget's Rail (E). 16.Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling (V). 17.Yellow-fronted Parrot (E,V). 18.Narina Trogon (V). 19.Banded Barbet (E,V). 20.Black-winged Lovebird (E,V). 21 Black-headed Lapwing. 22. Somali Crow. 23. Chestnut-naped Francolin (E). 24.Yellow-breasted Barbet (V). 25.Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill. 26.Abyssinian Roller. 27.Abyssinian Owl. 28.African Wood-Owl. 29. Wattled Ibis (E). 30. Blue-winged Goose (E,T). 31.Cape Eagle-Owl(T). 32. Northern Carmine Bee-eater. 33.Black-throated Barbet (V). 34. Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark. 35. Spot-breasted Lapwing (E). 36.Abyssinian Siskin(E). 37.Rosy-patched Bushshrike. 38.Variable Sunbird. 39.Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike. 40.Madagascar Bee-eater. 41.Swainson's Sparrow. 42.African Thrush. 43.Eastern Plantain-eater. 44.Somali Fiscal. 45.Masked Shrike. 46.Lesser Grey Shrike. 47.Northern Black-Flycatcher (V). 48.Fan-tailed Raven. 49.Groundscraper Thrush. 50.Reichenow's Seedeater. 51.Moorland Chat. 52. Village Indigobird. 53.Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-Starling. 54.Plain-backed Pipit. 55.Pied Wheatear. 56.Little Weaver. 57.Shelley's Starling. 58.Red-bellied Parrot. 59.African Bare-eyed Thrush. 60.Rufous Chatterer. 61. Pearl-spotted Owlet. 62.African Black-headed Oriole (V). 63.White-crowned Starling. 64.Bare-faced Go-away-bird. 65.White-collared Pigeon(E). 66.African Pygmy-Goose. 67.White-rumped Babbler. 68. Blue-headed Coucal. 69.Mountain Gray Woodpecker. 70.Senegal Thick-knee. 71.Black Scimitar-bill. 72.Spectacled Weaver. 73.Double-toothed Barbet. 74.Black-billed Barbet. 75.Grayish Eagle-Owl. 76.Crimson-rumped Waxbill. 77.Little Rock-Thrush. 78.Northern White-faced Owl. 79.Rueppell's Weaver. 80.Striolated Bunting. 81.Abyssinian Ground-Thrush. 82.Crowned Hawk-Eagle. 83.Bronze Mannikin. 84.African Spotted-Creeper. 85.Yellow-bellied Eremomela.86.Grant's Woodhoopoe.
MAMMALS:1.Mantled gereza. 2.Grivet. 3.Aardwolf. 4.Sacred babon. 5.Beisa Oryx. 6.Soemmerring's gazele. 7.Mountain Nyala. 8.Unstriped Ground Squirrel. 9.Cape hare. 10.Desert Warthog.
REPTILES: Savannah monitor.
CHANGES in GALLERIES:
BIRDS:
1.Spur-winged lapwing(V). 2.Hooded Vulture(T). 3.Hamerkop(T). 4.Cape Crow(V). 5.Secretary-bird. 6.Crowned Lapwing(V). 7.Gray-headed Social-Weaver(V). 8.Speckled Pigeon(V). 9.Superb Starling(V). 10.African Fish Eagle(V,T). 11.Egyptian Goose(V). 12.Marabou Stork(V). 13.Red-cheeked Cordonbleu(V). 14.EgyptianVulture. 15.Streaky Seedeater. 16.Abdim's Stork. 17.White-bellied Bustard. 18.Silvery-cheeked Hornbill(T). 19.Isabelline Wheatear. 20.White-browed Sparrow-Weaver. 21.Eurasian Hoopoe(T). 22.Three-banded Courser. 23.African Gray Hornbill. 24.Abyssinian Scimitar-bill. 25.Namaqua Dove. 26.Pygmy Falcon. 27.Buff-crested Bustard. 28.Northern Red-billed Hornbill. 29.Woodchat Shrike. 30.Red-billed Firefinch. 31.Red-billed Quelea. 32.Pallid Harrier. 33.Nubian Woodpecker. 34.White-bellied Go-away-bird. 35.Western Yellow Wagtail. 36.Mountain Thrush. 37.Vitelline Masked-Weaver. 38.Steppe Eagle. 39.Village Weaver(V). 40.Black Kite. 41.Black-winged Lapwing. 42.Yellow-billed Kite. 43.African Stonechat. 44.Heuglin's white-eye. 45.Baglafecht Weaver. 46.Booted Eagle. 47.Dusky Turtle-Dove. 48.Thekla Lark. 49. Augur Buzzard. 50.Yellow-necked Spurfowl. 51.Kori Bustard. 52.Von der Decken's Hornbill. 53.African Paradise-Flycatcher. 54.Red-and-yellow Barbet. 55.Fork-tailed Drongo. 56.Little Bee-eater. 57.White-browed Coucal. 58.Laughing Dove. 59.Mocking Cliff-Chat. 60.Northern Wheatear. 61.White-headed Buffalo-Weaver. 62.Red-billed Oxpecker(T). 63.Tawny-flanked Prinia(V). 64.Pin-tailed Whydah. 65.Garden Bulbul. 66.White-faced Whistling Duck(V). 67.Spotted Morning-Thrush. 68.White-backed Vulture. 69.Eastern Chanting-Goshawk. 70.Red-winged Starling. 71.African Harrier-Hawk. 72.Red-backed Scrub-Robin. 73.Rueppell's Glossy-Starling. 74.Pied Cuckoo. 75.Rüppell's Vulture. 76.Rufous-crowned Roller. 77.Speckled Mousebird. 78. Verreaux's Eagle-Owl. 79.Pied Kingfisher. 80.Woodland Kingfisher. 81.Mourning Collared-Dove(V). 82.Sacred Ibis. 83.African Jacana. 84. White-browed Robin-Chat. 85. Black Crake. 86.Green-backed Camaroptera. 87.Hadeda ibis. 88.Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. 89.Red-eyed Dove. 90.Southern Fiscal. 91.Scarlet-chested Sunbird. 92.Yellow-billed Stork. 93.Striped Kingfisher. 94.Helmeted Guineafowl. 95.Gray-backed Fiscal. 96.Chestnut Sparrow. 97.African Darter. 98.Beautiful Sunbird. 99.Great White Pelican. 100.Long-tailed Cormorant. 101.Grey-hooded Gull. 102.Squacco Heron. 103.Rufous-necked Wryneck. 104.Barn Swallow. 105.Hottentot Teal. 106.Crane(T). 107.Pied Crow. 108.Slender-tailed Nightjar. 109.Pink-backed Pelican. 110.Osprey. 111.Mariqua Sunbird. 112.Malachite Kingfisher. 113.White-rumped Shrike. 114.Grey-headed Kingfisher. 115.Ring-necked dove. 116.Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush. 117. Redstart. 118.Gabar Goshawk. 119.Montagu's Harrier.
MAMMALS:1 African golden Wolf. 2.Black-backed jackal.
REPTILES: 1.Nile crocodile. 2.Leopard tortoise.
ETHIOPIANS- portraits of children ETHIOPIANS - adult portraits ETHIOPIANS -oders
ETHIOPIA-landscape ADDIS ABABA ETHIOPIA FAUNA ETHIOPIA FLORA ETHIOPIA oders
Slideshow from ETHIOPIA