Late this morning and early this afternoon I noticed a large number of swallows circling high over a stream bottomland area. Many were several hundred feet high and none less than perhaps 100 feet. As far as I could tell they were all Tree Swallows. In this same area I have been noticing that I hardly ever saw a swallow for the last couple of months. I would estimate that I saw at least 100, probably more. Do swallows start to move this time of year? Don Morgan, Coventry http://birdingnect.blogspot.com/ "Think, every morning when the sun peeps through The dim, leaf-latticed windows of the grove, How jubilant the happy birds renew Their old, melodious madrigals of love!" H.W. Longfellow

Hello Don, Swallows are early migrants and also stage at good feeding areas right after nesting is over. They're definitely on the move in July. I was at a place in New Hartford over the weekend that had about 70 fresh (dug this year) Bank Swallow burrows in a big sand pile. The bird were all gone already. I've been seeing Bank Swallows along the coast for a few weeks, which is pretty normal for this time of year.. Greg ----- Original Message ----- From: <Mntncougar@aol.com> To: <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 4:52 PM Subject: [CT Birds] Swallow movement? > Late this morning and early this afternoon I noticed a large number of > swallows circling high over a stream bottomland area. Many were several > hundred feet high and none less than perhaps 100 feet. As far as I could > tell > they were all Tree Swallows. In this same area I have been noticing that > I > hardly ever saw a swallow for the last couple of months. I would > estimate > that I saw at least 100, probably more. Do swallows start to move this > time of year? > > Don Morgan, Coventry > > http://birdingnect.blogspot.com/ > > > "Think, every morning when the sun peeps through > The dim, leaf-latticed windows of the grove, > How jubilant the happy birds renew > Their old, melodious madrigals of love!" > H.W. Longfellow > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) > for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit > http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org > >

Don and all, Swallows have been moving for two if not three weeks, as evidenced by sightings at Stratford Point and some emails to this list. I frequently mention them in the CAS blog in the weekly update concerning Stratford Point, but we have many Barn and Tree, some Northern Rough-winged, a few Bank and Purple Martins, and once in a while a Cliff. Those breakdowns are the averages for a daily basis. Purple Martins have been here nonstop for about a week now, and you can find the usual four species easily. The sites location on the coast along with the grassland habitat provide a perfect spot for fall migrant swallows. We have had continual handfuls of other migrants, and today I had 2 BOBOLINK, 1 ORCHARD ORIOLE, 1 Gray Catbird, 2 empid. flycatchers, etc in addition to 2 PURPLE MARTIN. This is typical now. If you want an easy location for a four, five, or even six swallow day, come visit Stratford Point in the next few weeks. The early breeding season, as a result of a very wet March and warm spring/summer, only pushed up dates of movement for some species. Very few people go out and bird in the end of July and during August. Go find your fall migrants now while very few people are in the field. You never know what you might see. And please put them in eBird! Scott On Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 5:10 PM, Greg Hanisek <ghanisek@rep-am.com> wrote: > Hello Don, > > Swallows are early migrants and also stage at good feeding areas right > after nesting is over. They're definitely on the move in July. I was at a > place in New Hartford over the weekend that had about 70 fresh (dug this > year) Bank Swallow burrows in a big sand pile. The bird were all gone > already. I've been seeing Bank Swallows along the coast for a few weeks, > which is pretty normal for this time of year.. > > Greg > ----- Original Message ----- From: <Mntncougar@aol.com> > To: <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> > Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 4:52 PM > Subject: [CT Birds] Swallow movement? > > > > Late this morning and early this afternoon I noticed a large number of >> swallows circling high over a stream bottomland area. Many were several >> hundred feet high and none less than perhaps 100 feet. As far as I could >> tell >> they were all Tree Swallows. In this same area I have been noticing that >> I >> hardly ever saw a swallow for the last couple of months. I would >> estimate >> that I saw at least 100, probably more. Do swallows start to move this >> time of year? >> >> Don Morgan, Coventry >> >> http://birdingnect.blogspot.com/ >> >> >> "Think, every morning when the sun peeps through >> The dim, leaf-latticed windows of the grove, >> How jubilant the happy birds renew >> Their old, melodious madrigals of love!" >> H.W. Longfellow >> _______________________________________________ >> This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) >> for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. >> For subscription information visit >> http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org >> >> >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) > for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit > http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org > -- Scott Kruitbosch Stratford, CT Connecticut Audubon Society http://ctaudubon.blogspot.com/