Bird of the Week – Tree Swallow
Another seriously mis-named species, WC regrets to report.
Tree Swallow, Creamer’s Refuge, Fairbanks
Despite the name, the Tree Swallow has little to do with trees and everything to do with open fields, meadows and swamps. Like its fellow Swallows, it’s an insectivore, a bug eater. Specifically flying bugs. And in Alaska, that means gnats and mosquitoes. Like Cliff Swallows, these birds are living mosquito magnets.
A long term Tree Swallow study is underway at Creamer’s Refuge in Fairbanks. Conducted by school children under the supervision of ornithologists, they study the reproductive success of the species. Some of the kids who have worked on this project are post-graduate field biologists now. Which says something about the reproductive success of ornithologists.
Camera geek stuff: f5.7, 1/320, ISO100
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
Blackbirds are back with a vengeance in iowa. Lilacs are starting to leaf out. No swallows yet.
Any creature that eats mosquitoes is heroic in my book.