Tree Swallow by Sarah Devlin

Location: Harwich, Massachusetts

Behind the Shot: I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of photographing swallows. Their speed and agility make them an excellent subject for mastering the technique to capture birds in flight. On this sunny spring day, while out photographing birds at a local park, I noticed a Tree Swallow collecting pine needles and delivering them to a nest box nearby. I lay down on the ground, dug my elbows in, and waited to capture that magical moment.

2022 Audubon Photography Top 100 Awards: #7

Camera: Nikon D500 with a Sigma 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens; 1/2500 second at f/6.3; ISO 320