{"id":90704,"date":"2021-06-23T05:31:13","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T11:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=90704"},"modified":"2025-03-29T13:51:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T18:51:54","slug":"cliff-swallows-gathering-nesting-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/23\/cliff-swallows-gathering-nesting-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"Cliff Swallows Gathering Nesting Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning I photographed Cliff Swallows gathering nesting materials and fighting in bright morning light high in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Cliff Swallow fluttering its wings on the ground \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year the Cliff Swallows in this same area were busy gathering nesting materials in late May and early June. I figured that by now they would be done with nest building and incubating eggs already.<\/p>\n

\"CliffCliff Swallow adult gathering nesting material \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cliff Swallows flew in fast, landed on the ground, selected the nesting material they wanted, and took off just as fast as they landed.\u00a0 While the swallows were on the ground they fluttered their wings over their bodies often which gave me many opportunities to photograph them in this wings up pose.<\/p>\n

My Nikon D500 decided to act up again so I switched to my D810 after this photo was taken.<\/p>\n

\"CliffCliff Swallows fighting on the ground \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

During the breeding season hormones run high in male and female Cliff Swallows which can cause fights at mud holes and apparently drier areas where nesting materials can be found. I only photographed one instance of fighting yesterday and fortunately I was locked onto the two swallows while they fought.<\/p>\n

\"OneOne adult Cliff Swallow attacking another swallow \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The swallow in the back of the fighting pair had a firm grip on the neck of the swallow in front.<\/p>\n

The other Cliff Swallows near the fighting pair continued their search for nesting materials while this aggressive behavior occurred.<\/p>\n

\"CliffCliff Swallows fighting \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of heightened hormone levels during the breeding season male Cliff Swallows can confuse other males for females when attempting extra-pair copulations which also can lead to fights. After the photo above was taken the swallows broke apart and both of them flew away. I can’t say whether the swallow in front was unharmed or not but it might have been missing a few feathers on its neck.<\/p>\n

\"CliffCliff Swallow watching another bird flying overhead \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though I was only with the Cliff Swallow for five minutes I took 238 images of them before heading up the road in search of more birds.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Cliff Swallow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning I photographed Cliff Swallows gathering nesting materials and fighting in bright morning light high in the Wasatch Mountains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":142281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,489,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,5643,4226,3940,2420,4337,2659,4069,780,4182,440,4450,641,2315,1732,4807,3470,30,4176,5498],"class_list":["post-90704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-cliff-swallows","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-aggressive-behavior","tag-behavior","tag-canyon","tag-cliff-swallow","tag-fighting","tag-fluttering","tag-mountains","tag-nest-building","tag-nesting-material","tag-nesting-materials","tag-nesting-season","tag-petrochelidon-pyrrhonota","tag-summer-3","tag-summit-county-2","tag-swallow","tag-swallows","tag-utah-2","tag-wasatch-mountains","tag-wings"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-8764.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-nAY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15032,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/23\/nesting-cliff-swallows\/","url_meta":{"origin":90704,"position":0},"title":"Nesting Cliff Swallows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday at East Canyon State Park in Morgan County I was able to photograph nesting Cliff Swallows on a cliff face that overlooks the reservoir.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cliff Swallow nests, East Canyon State Park, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-nests-mia-mcpherson-8130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-nests-mia-mcpherson-8130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/violet-green-swallow-male-back-view-mia-mcpherson-1622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/violet-green-swallow-male-back-view-mia-mcpherson-1622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/violet-green-swallow-male-back-view-mia-mcpherson-1622.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/violet-green-swallow-male-back-view-mia-mcpherson-1622.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90824,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/24\/adult-house-wren-with-a-large-feather\/","url_meta":{"origin":90704,"position":2},"title":"Adult House Wren With A Large Feather","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"After taking photos of Cliff Swallows gathering nesting materials two days ago I took more House Wren photos of the nesting pair I found in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult House Wren with a feather for the nest, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-adult-nesting-feather-mia-mcpherson-6744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-adult-nesting-feather-mia-mcpherson-6744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bear River Cliff Swallow perched on phragmites, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-mia-mcpherson-1307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-mia-mcpherson-1307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-mia-mcpherson-1307.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-mia-mcpherson-1307.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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I am so excited about that news!","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tree Swallow peeking out of a natural nesting cavity in the High Uintas, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-aspen-high-uintas-mia-mcpherson-6727.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-aspen-high-uintas-mia-mcpherson-6727.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-aspen-high-uintas-mia-mcpherson-6727.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-aspen-high-uintas-mia-mcpherson-6727.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":92104,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/12\/wasatch-mountain-canyon-cliff-swallow\/","url_meta":{"origin":90704,"position":5},"title":"Wasatch Mountain Canyon Cliff Swallow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week before the smoke started to darken the skies in northern Utah I had a few seconds to photograph an adult Cliff Swallow next to a steep mountain road.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Cliff Swallow perched on a dead branch, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-8735.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-8735.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-8735.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cliff-swallow-adult-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-8735.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}