Update: Sept 20, 2003: added
another enlargement of the first bird, showing a bit more detail.
Update: Sept 18, 2003: see
pic of 2nd bird, plus zoom of head-on shot of first bird, at the
bottom of the page.
This imm. Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta
thalassina) was photographed (in taxing conditions!)
by Martin Reid at Mustang Park on Benbrook Lake near Fort Worth,
Tarrant County, Texas on September 12, 2003 - a first County (and
regional?) record. It was in loose assocation with 50+ N. Rough-wings,
a couple of Barns and Cliffs, two Banks, and one molting adult
Cave. It was blustery weather with swirling misty rain that kept
the swallows very low and hunting extremely close to the willows,
such that their flight was even more agile and unpredictable than
usual. The conditions made it very hard for photography - I'm
surprised that I even got these poor images. The white rump patches
made it easy to pick out with the naked eye, but through the camera
viewfinder it was difficult to catch it. Compared to the many
NRWSs it was clearly smaller and with a slightly more-flickery
flight (but in the conditions, ALL the swallows were flickery!);
also it showed narrower outer wings and more contrast between
the dark primaries and paler inner wing (from above). There seemed
to be less contrast on the underwings, but this was hard to see
well. The face pattern was similar to that of an imm. Bank Swallow
but with a small pale area behind the eye that was hard to see
well; at certain angles it looked obvious, while at other angles,
less-so. The tail appeared short and more-pointed at the corners
than compared to the NRWSs.:
This scan was darkened to show that the white rump area is actually
two patches separated bya thin dark band - seen well in real life:
Update: Here with a NRWS above it;
note that both these birds are the same distance from the camera.
The rump/lower back did look rather browner than the rest of the
plumage - The Bander's book "ID Guide to N.A. Passerines"
by Pyle et al states that " ...no reliable plumage criteria
known after 1st prebasic, although some HY/SYs, especially may
show duller or more brownish upperparts (especially rump) as in
Tree Swallow..." :
This view is of the upperparts with the near wing pointing straight
at you:
Added Sept 20, 2003: This enlargement
is lightened a bit (all editing is to whole image, as with
all my ID pics): the upper part of the tail is overlaying
a dark bit of the willow tree, and creating the effect of a short
"streamer"; the tip of the near wing is partly obscuring
the lower portion of the rump. Note the very slim outer wing,
short tail (barely longer than the head extension), whitish on
the rump, and the pale around the eye (this is a bit distorted
- especially ahead of the eye - compared to what I saw in the
field, but I do not think that the entire feature can be dismissed
as an artifact)
This shot is of it flying directly towards the camera:
Update Sept 18, 2003: I've added
this enlargement of the above pic with a blue line pointing to
the eye; note the obvious pale crescent behind the eye:
Update, Sept 18 2003: This is a record
shot of a different Violet-green Swallow from the same location
on Sept 17, 2003: note the rump, very short tail, slim wings (with
underwing coverts concolorous with flight feathers); the head
is partially in shadow:
