The site that was so productive for swallows yesterday, north of Kiptopeke,
had fewer Tree Swallows (perhaps 50 at most) this morning and no swallows
other than Tree. I checked the next productive area, which is the field
north of the intersection of Rtes 600 (Seaside Rd) and 718, which is just
north of the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR, and immediately found a Northern
Rough-winged Swallow and a Cave Swallow.
Later, Bev Leewenburg and I checked these spots at 1100 and 1130, finding at
least one Cave Swallow at the second spot (somewhat distant), where Tom
Pendleton had found one on Friday, and a very close and cooperative Cave
Swallow just to the north, at the "S" curve in the road just south of its
intersection with Jones Cove Road.
The warm south winds have scattered the swallow flocks all over the fields of
the lower Shore, and the birds have been foraging higher today than
yesterday. Flies were evident everywhere today, as were butterflies of
various sorts and even Green Darners. Mustard fields (or fields with a lot
of mustard coming up, at least) seem most attractive to the swallows, though
they fed today also over dried soybean fields.
Tomorrow's front will surely have some effect on that. I would guess that
the swallows would feed low over the fields tomorrow; Tree Swallows might
even switch off to bayberries if it's cold enough. Several parties reported
several thousand swallows at Chincoteague over the weekend, so the swallow
parade might still have some time yet.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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