[TN-Bird] barn swallow--possible sighting, Coffee Co

From: Laura Jennings McCall <lmccall@xxxxxxxx>
To: 'Tn-Bird' <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:14:28 -0600
My sister, who lives in Wartrace (Coffee County), informed me yesterday 
that she had seen a Barn Swallow this past weekend.    She was unaware 
that they migrated south for the winter, and remarked that this was the 
first she'd seen in quite a while. I questioned her about it, but what 
she described (swallow tail, dark above with dark orange throat, fast & 
swooping swallow flight) sounds like a barn swallow to me, and not at 
all like a Purple Martin or Tree Swallow, which migrate a little 
earlier.
Robinson's Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Tennessee describes the 
Barn Swallow as a "common migrant and summer resident, very rare winter 
visitor," and indicates that it arrives by late March (earliest date 
March 5 in Lawrence Co, 1986).

I have no way of confirming her sighting, but I just wanted to ask 
whether it's unheard of that she would see one in mid-February.  Is it 
likely that this is one of the rare, overwintering birds (and she's 
just missed it all winter), or that it's a migrant that's getting a 
head-start?

Thanks for your insights!

Laura McCall
Highland Rim TOS
Lynchburg, TN (Moore Co)

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[TN-Bird] barn swallow--possible sighting, Coffee Co

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