Cheery Tree Swifts Takes

There was a time when Whiskered Treeswifts can only be seen perched on electric wires along the road. A fact that made them quite un-photogenic. And bird photographers not too happy about it.

But now a new era has dawned. A simple trip up to Mt. Palay-palay would reward a bird photographer with a sure sight of a Treeswift perched on a branch a mere 5 meters away from the side of the road. There the photographer can take its picture to his heart's content. The three times I was there the female Hemiprocne comata was always on that particular spot. The lovely bird would always stay on that bare branch by the road. It would fly-off occasionally to go after some unfortunate bug and then return to the same perch. We who have witnessed this scenario have learned to pre-focus on its perch while the treeswift was off hunting for food and then take a burst of shots as soon as it returned.

That made me and a lot of my bird photographer friends quite cheerful.

Taken July 24, 2010

Taken August 14, 2010

Taken August 30, 2010