Description

This shot of a male Purple Martin was gotten in Owen County
KY this past April on a very dreary/overcast day. There was a
massive Mayfly hatch taking place on this day, and there were
several hundred martins and several other swallow species
feeding heavily on the hatching mayflies! Much to my surprise,
this little guy landed a mere 30 feet from my boat presumably to
catch a breather before getting back to business. The overcast
really brought out the violet/blues in this little male. I never really
noticed just how iridescent blue they really are until I got this photo.
I returned to this lake just three days later and there were no Martins or
Swallows (and very few mayflies); it was as if this huge event never
happened. Wow!

Category

Category 8: Rainbow Birds

Species

• Purple Martin