Pic of the Day

     Cliff Swallow and nest – Bear River NWR; Brigham City, Utah: Spaced along the road between the Bear River NWR headquarters and the refuge entrance are numerous information kiosks recently added as part of the refuge renovation plan.  Soon after their construction the kiosks became the platform for nesting colonies of cliff swallows.  Cliff swallow traditionally built their mud nest under the rock overhangs of cliffs; but soon after humans colonized the New World, cliff swallows adopted manmade structures in addition to those rocky cliffs.

     This cliff swallow nest was just one of a hundred or so built in one of the wooden kiosk.  I used my car as a blind to approach the colony.  Parking perpendicular to the kiosk I used a beanbag to steady the lens.  As I shot this cliff swallow peered out of the nest entrance and looked directly into the lens, providing the much need eye contact with the subject.