They're back and they're busy!!
The barn swallows are back from their annual trip south. These beautiful, gregarious little birds migrate as far south as Mexico, the Lesser Antilles, Costa Rica, Panama and South America every winter. (Hmmm, maybe I'll come back as a swallow in my next life.)
Every summer they return to breed throughout North America. This particular pair chose to make their nest on top of a light fixture on a dock at Lake of the Ozarks. I love to watch
these graceful little creatures as they swoop and dive after insects over the lake. Even more amazing is their ability to get a drink by dipping their beaks into the lake as they skim over the water.
This pair is relatively fearless as they go about their nesting duties right over the heads of the
swimmers, boaters and fishermen who regularly use this dock.
I'm so glad I saw this entry. We have a bunch of them nesting at work. I hadn't seen them before & wondered what they were. I thought they were a type of swallow by the shape of their wings. They are beautiful....
ReplyDeleteThey ARE beautiful, and according to the experts the longer the male's tailfeathers are the more desirable he is as a mate!
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