On top of one of the foothills of the Bataan mountains, not very far from the moth-balled Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, I found a spot where the wind seems to be funneled by the lay of the land, making the area above it a favorite of soaring birds. Got lucky today (April 5, 2006) to witness a squadron of Purple Needletails swooping in long circles around the area.

These fast fliers started their circular flight path by hugging the treetops in the valley below, then flying in an inclined angle towards the hilltop where I was positioned. Everytime each fast flier passed within 20 meters from me, I could hear a distinct "swoosh" sound, as if their well-streamlined wings were slicing the wind, like hot knife going through butter.

My 1DM2's shutter died unfortunately just as the shooting fun started, and my 20D's AI servo was practically useless in catching and tracking the jet-like fliers. The few captures that I managed to get, mediocre as they are, are probably among the more detailed, rare photos taken of these birds in flight.