Sand Martins
The Sand Martins are teetering on the edge of leaving Westray now. Their chicks must be fully grown and there are only a few trips into the burrows with food. I can see them over the fields of cattle gorging on flies. They turn and fly over the sea in beautiful weather.
Their feathers look like brown velvet:
They are so small, so quick and so agile that they are the greatest challenge I have had to photograph so far:
The scientific name of the Sand Martin is Riparia riparia. Riparian means ‘on the banks of a river’. These Sand Martins are on the banks of a sea.
My first attempt at photographing them was a few weeks ago:
I’m definitely getting better with practice:
I might have to wait until next year for another chance.