Swallows Return with Family

If you remember back in March, I reported that Northern Rough-winged Swallows had returned from their southern winter quarters and were zooming around the Wetlands. I also mentioned that they nest nearby and that they sometimes bring their young to our Wetlands for flying lessons, lessons on how to catch their preferred food, flying insects. The swallows did so this week. For the past few days I’ve been watching as the parents dip, dive, and whirl about the Wetlands, catching insects onRead more
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Northern Rough-winged Swallow

There was a considerable amount of flycatching going on in our Wetlands on Wednesday. Besides the local Eastern Phoebes and winter resident Yellow-rumped Warblers (butter butts) sallying forth from their willow branch perches to capture winged insects over the Wetlands’ water, two Northern Rough-winged Swallows showed up. They are aerial specialist, only perching to rest on occasion. Of the six swallow species you’re likely to see in our area, the Northern Rough-winged Swallow is the one that I’ve most oftenRead more