These swallows are built for speed and precision, masters of the air that seem to defy gravity with every twist and turn. They are incredibly fun to watch and incredibly challenging to photograph as they skim just inches above the water in pursuit of insects. I had a blast photographing Cliff Swallows, Barn Swallows, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows as they swarmed the cove in a frenzy of aerial hunting. The rain had just passed, leaving the air thick with insects and creating a feast for these agile flyers. It was fantastic practice and brought me one step closer to a goal of mine: capturing the exact moment a swallow snatches an insect from the surface of the water. In some of these images, you can see the reward of their skill—freshly caught insects clutched in their beaks as they streak across the cove.