Sand Martins

In the past, if sailors spotted them from their ships, it meant land was near. On Rügen, the sandy cliffs provide the perfect habitat, so they can be found on many beaches—in this instance, we found them at the northern beach. Since we had gone there for a swim, the timing was naturally far from ideal for good photos. The sun was high, though I did find an overhang that provided some shade. The odds were stacked against me—the swallows themselves are tiny and incredibly fast… well… lots of photos, a few nice snapshots capturing the lively activity around the burrows. Funnily enough, they seem to do a lot of things in unison; at times, the burrows appeared deserted, until the entire flock returned all at once, and the chattering, fluttering, and digging started up again.