Wings over Tiscornia

A few flight shots from the last few days...

Here's the closest I've come yet to that great Willet flight shot. Unfortunately I cut off a wingtip...

The moult state of the bird is interesting.

The "freshest" feathers are the checkered breeding plumage that are somewhat faded. The gray feathers in the wing coverts are heavily worn and are leftover basic feathers. A person might guess is that this bird is a subadult that didn't breed this year (explaining both the early appearance at Tiscornia and the plumage), though Pyle says that the pre-alternate moult is only a partial moult at all ages so fully mature birds will show some retained winter plumage in the summer. I think based on the shape of the primary tips (broad and not pointed in the pic with the wing fully flared), Pyle would make this an After Second Year (adult) bird.

_

Today I was practicing swallow flight shots since there wasn't much happening (aside from a semi sandpiper that didn't allow much of an approach).

You don't want to be learning on the fly with the Cave Swallow we have scheduled for November 6th this fall. I obtained the most workable images in manual mode with the the F stop as high as I could get it (giving the most depth of field).

Finally is a B-52 that was one of three that overflew us on Monday. I noticed jumbo type jets flying in formation which seemed unusual to say the least. The planes were so high that their gray color really blended in with the blue sky.