Skip to content
Roger Simmons Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

  • Home
  • All Posts
    • Orlando Wetlands
    • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
    • Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
    • Joe Overstreet Road
    • UCF Arboretum
    • Fort DeSoto Park
  • My Bird Catalog
    • All Birds Catalog
    • American Flamingos
    • Bald Eagles
    • Barred Owls
    • Belted Kingfishers
    • Black-and-White Warblers
    • Eastern Bluebirds
    • Florida Scrub-Jays
    • Green Herons
    • Little Blue Herons
    • Northern Parulas
    • Ospreys
    • Reddish Egrets
    • Red-Shouldered Hawks
    • Roseate Spoonbills
    • Sandhill Cranes
    • Whooping Crane
  • Orlando TV News/History
    • Orlando TV Schedules
    • Florida TV History
  • About this Site
Roger Simmons
Roger Simmons

Birds, Words, Pics + TV

Photographing darting Barn Swallows at Lake Apopka

Roger Simmons, June 23, 2024June 23, 2024

As the seasons change in Florida (as much as seasons change here), the birds in the area change too. And it’s the time of year for seeing Barn Swallows at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.

I came across a group of them on Saturday. From my experience last year, I knew these colorful but speedy little birds dart across the sky and landscape, making the hard to photograph them in flight. But sometimes you can get them hanging out together in a nearby tree of shrub.

I knew just the place, and I found a group sitting pretty waiting for their photograph. But as I started taking photos, a nearby juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron decided to fly away — startling the little Barn Swallows off their branch.

So, I ramped up the shuttle speed on my camera and started trying to track the little birds in flight and snap some photos. Surprisingly, I got a couple of good shots.

Some fun facts about Barn Swallows, from AllAboutBirds.org:

  • “The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely distributed swallow species in the world. It breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere and winters in much of the Southern Hemisphere.”
  • “Although the killing of egrets is often cited for inspiring the U.S. conservation movement, it was the millinery (hat-making) trade’s impact on Barn Swallows that prompted naturalist George Bird Grinnell’s 1886 Forest & Stream editorial decrying the waste of bird life. His essay led to the founding of the first Audubon Society.”

Barn Swallows, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024.
Barn Swallows, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024.
Barn Swallow, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024.
Barn Swallow, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024.
Barn Swallow, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024.
Barn Swallow, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024.
Barn Swallow, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024.
Black-crowned Night Heron, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, June 2024. This is the one who startled the sitting Barn Swallows.
Share on Social Media
x facebook reddit email
All Birds Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive Barn Swallow

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

All

Summertime along Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

July 8, 2024July 8, 2024

The 11-mile drive is a great place for birding, and that includes during the dog days of summer.

Read More
Birds

These birds beat the heat at Orlando Wetlands

July 31, 2023August 5, 2023

I spent a hot, humid morning at the Orlando Wetlands on Saturday, July 29, and I was surprised by the number of birds that I saw.

Read More
All

Grand Canyon West – absolutely amazing

February 15, 2024February 16, 2024

The west rim is on land owned by the Hualapai Tribe, part of their reservation. It’s definitely less crowded that other parts of the Grand Canyon.

Read More

Latest Posts

  • Merritt Island birds back in May
  • Barn Swallows return to Lake Apopka for summer
  • Black-neck Stilts bring babies, summer fun
  • Important anniversary for Indian River flamingos
  • Enjoying a quiet morning at Orlando Wetlands

Top Locations

Orlando Wetlands

Posts about visits to Orlando Wetlands


UCF Arboretum

Posts about visits to UCF Arboretum


Merritt Island

Posts about visits to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge


Lake Apopka

Posts about visits to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive


Fort DeSoto

Posts about visits to Fort DeSoto Park


Galleries

Roger's Favorites

An ever-changing collection of my favorite pictures


American Flamingos

Photos of American Flamingos in Indian River


Belted Kingfishers

Photos of Belted Kingfishers across Central Florida.


Oystercatchers

Pictures of American Oystercatchers at Fort DeSoto Park


Spoonbills

Pictures of Roseate Spoonbills in Central Florida


Whooping Crane

Pictures of one of the last Whooping Cranes in Florida


MORE GALLERIES


Topics

American Kestrel Anhinga Awards Bald Eagles Barn Swallow Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher Black-and-White Warbler Black-Crowned Night-Heron Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Common Gallinule Common Yellowthroat Digital TV Eastern Bluebird Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Limpkin Little Blue Heron Northern Cardinal Northern Mockingbird Northern Parula Orlando Wetlands Park Osprey Palm Warbler Prairie Warbler Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-shouldered Hawk Red-Winged Blackbird Reddish Egret Roseate Spoonbills Sandhill Crane Savannah Sparrow Snowy Egret Tricolored Heron Tufted Titmouse WESH-2 WFTV-9 White Ibis WKCF-18 WKMG-6 WMFE-24 WOFL-35 Wood Stork WRDQ-27

©2025 Roger Simmons | All Rights Reserved