More About the Welcome Swallow

Forest and Bird, Issue 166, 1 November 1967, Page 27

More About the Welcome Swallow

By

J. A. S. HOWARD,

Marton

A PARTY of 20 from the junior group of the Rangitikei Section (known as the Marton Junior Naturalists’ Club) paid a visit early in June to the Dehow’s farm at Bulls to see the welcome swallows which have colonised the locality over the last few years. An article on these birds appeared in the May issue of “Forest and Bird”. Flocks of up to 30 have been seen recently, especially early in the mornings and again toward evening.

We arrived a little too early, but after some time, during which we saw a few flying about at some distance from us, a pair came in to feed above the shallow water at the edge of a small, raupo-fringed lake on the edge of the sand dunes. They were completely unperturbed by our group standing quietly in the open by the water’s edge, and on occasions they flew close behind, above, or in front of us. They were as quick and agile on the wing as fantails, as they pursued and caught insects

for their evening meal, sometimes a few inches, sometimes a few feet above the water.

We heard the continual snappings of their beaks as they caught tit-bits on the wing, and they chattered and chirruped quite freely as they went about their business. Not once in half an hour did one of them alight for a rest. Occasionally a bright ray from the setting sun illuminated one of them, and we could fully appreciate its glistening blue-black upper surfaces, red forehead, and reddish-brown throat and breast. Just as we were leaving, as daylight was starting to fade, about 10 more swallows came in to seek their evening meal.

We consider ourselves very lucky to have such an interesting bird colony close at hand, and we are very pleased that the birds should have made their home in an area where they have been so carefully watched by the Dellow boys, and where their future should be secure.