Little Swift- Apus affinus
We took up station on a large bridge across a river bed as one of our stops in Karnataka. I spent a while testing my new found ariel photography skills on these small and fast moving birds. Mode to "Servo'', multi point focus and dial up the exposure to 1.5 or 2. They are not perfect but these little fellas were moving at a fair pace. Practice practice practice.
Dillon reckoned they were nesting under the bridge and proceeded to give me the heebie geebies by trying to lean out and see back under the railings. The man is obsessed with birds - really !
I just came across a blog concerning a twitch of a Little Swift all the way up in the Wirral near where I used to live ! See here - Poor thing got lost !
Over the years my firm belief has become that while it might be interesting to see a bird thats lost and stick it on a UK list it is so much more satisfying to travel to where a bird belongs and watch it in its home. I saw a Lesser Kestrel in Suffolk once that provoked a major twitch - The Lesser Kestrels I have seen in Spain in the Sierra Nevada up in the Pueblos Blancos followed by a glass of sherry and a cold almond soup - so much better.
It will soon be time for Kori's Bustard followed by a gin an tonic, a sunset and barbequeued skewers - the roar of lions - I will be camping next to the Mara river - there has to be some swifts and swallows near there. I wont be wandering down to the water's edge to find out but I am sure I can get some shots of say sand martins (or the East African equivalent) and Hippos.
Anyway this is where Little Swifts live ! Not the Wirral.
Little Swift, Apus affinus
Big bridge somewhere in Karnatataka (get a map Neil !) India
25 May 2012
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