Bed Time for the Chimney Swifts by jgpittenger

Bed Time for the Chimney Swifts

I tried all day to upload this but for some reason I couldn't get it to go through the e-mail account. I am disappointed in this shot and not sure other than using my longer lens which would have made the exposure even more difficult how I could have taken this shot and gotten better focus and less noise. I needed ther eally high ISO. Any advice?
These birds are so amazing. For a few weeks every year just at sundown they circle the sky in hundreds and at some magical moment just before it gets dark they all funnel down into the same chimney. It is a sight to see. Tonight there was a troubling addition-a hawk, perhaps a sharp shinned hawk, would come sit on the top of the chimney. For a while the swifts would fly away but eventually they came back to do their instinctual nightly ritual. We saw the hawk capture a swift at least three times and go off and eat them and return. Nature! Does anyone know where these birds migrate to?
So cool! I just read about it, are these the Vaux Swifts? I hope to get up there some night. They migrate to Central America and Venezuela!
September 8th, 2012  
Hey! You've got the camera with the highest useable ISO there is. I actually like the shot
September 8th, 2012  
Ha...very cool!
September 8th, 2012  
Do you mean these swifts actually roost inside the chimney at night...I find that truly amazing! I think you did really well with this shot as they swoop & climb so quickly. We have swifts & swallows here & they act like this swooping about at night but I am ashamed to say I don't know where they sleep at night.
September 8th, 2012  
Have just googled your swifts & they sound a bit different than ours as they have a squared off tail whereas ours have the forked tail. Shows them going in a chimney at night too, what a sight that must be , you are lucky to have seen it.
September 8th, 2012  
Ps. What interesting stuff you learn on 365!!!!
September 8th, 2012  
@swilde Actually the Nikon D4 has a much higher useable ISO
September 8th, 2012  
Cool.
September 8th, 2012  
I think it came out great! I'm sure it's one of those things that is so impressive in person that a photograph never seems sufficient to capture the real moment
September 8th, 2012  
I think this looks fabulous, the dof is perfect!
September 8th, 2012  
Awesome
September 8th, 2012  
Wild! These instinctive behaviors amaze me. You captured it well.
September 8th, 2012  
Very nice catch.
September 8th, 2012  
Wow! Great shot of them in action!
September 8th, 2012  
Very nice action capture!! Swifts move so quickly,it's very difficult to capture them clearly on camera!!
September 8th, 2012  
So what did chimney swifts do before there were chimneys?
September 8th, 2012  
I love sharp focus on birds and framing!
September 9th, 2012  
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