Swallows

This time of year, swallows often group up before migrating south. On sunny August days with a N or NW wind, these groups often take to the sky. I was able to pick out four swallow species in the flock over my house.

In this area, Tree Swallows become very numerous in late August into September and
often dominate swallow flocks. Tree Swallows seem to have fairly broad
wings and a completely white underside.



Barn Swallows are also quite common this time of year. Compared to Tree Swallows,
Barn Swallows have skinny, pointed wings. Also, Barn Swallows have a buffy-yellow
underside, a red throat, and a distinctive forked tail.



Bank Swallows are an exciting species to find. During the breeding season, this species
is difficult to find away from sandy areas near water courses. Even during migration,
they often stay close to or over water, so this was a treat to see. Bank Swallows
have wings more like a Tree Swallow than a Barn. The underside is mostly
white expect for a broad brown band across the chest.



The most exciting swallow I found was this Cliff Swallow. These guys are neat birds and
are less common than the three other swallows mentioned. To identify these guys, look
for a swallow with a white belly, but a red throat patch. Above, this species has a large,
buff-colored patch on the rump, which is distinctive and easy to see, even from a distance.

Birds In Flight Project

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by birds.  Since a young age, I have pursued an interest in these creatures learning as much as I can about them.  Along the way, I have met many people who share my interest and fascination.  Many are birders, people extremely interested in birds.  These people can often identify all of the birds in the region by sight and sound.  Although they are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about birds, there is one aspect of advanced birding that they often choose to ignore or set aside because they believe it is too difficult--identification of birds in flight.  Although many of these birders are fascinated by flight, they often overlook or ignore a small songbird flying above them.  

I understand their feeling, identifying a warbler zipping overhead can be difficult, but it is not always impossible.  I hope that through this blog, more people will become educated about identification birds in flight.

I would also like to mention that this blog will not only include information about seeing birds in flight, but also hearing them.  Many birds migrate at night when we cannot see them, therefore, we must use their flight calls.  These unique set of vocalizations will open any birder into a new realm of bird identification.

As a final note, I would like to say that I am still learning about this topic and that I am not an expert in fight identification.  So bear with me, and I hope that we can learn more about this intriguing topic together.