Tag Archives | swallows

Shasta Birding Society’s Big Day at the Falls: Swifts and Swallows Tour

By Larry Jordan on April 24, 2025 in

THIS EVENT MOVED TO SUNDAY, MAY 18TH

Full day and fee free event visiting areas of eastern Shasta County.

This is a SBS Big Day event that will include 3-4 primary stops at Burney Falls, Baum Lake, and Fall River Mills. No bird will be left uncounted but to make it even more fun, our target species will be Swift and Swallow. The seasonal stage is set for the spring migration to possibly see the Black, Vaux’s, and White-throated Swift, the Bank, Tree, Cliff, Barn, Violet-green, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and the Purple Martin.

We will meet, 8am at Safeway Parking Lot in Burney long enough to gather everyone together, then head out to Burney Falls. Upon arrival, we will tour the Falls Loop Trail (1.1 miles) tallying birds and keeping a watchful eye for the returning Black Swift. We should see plenty of swallow species at all locations of course. Our next stop will be Baum Lake, continuing our journey where we will seek to find possible Purple Martin and Vaux’s Swift. The two trails along Crystal and Baum Lake (1.2 miles) are each fairly short, and the area has great scenery. We will then head east to Fall River Mills, and when we arrive, we will turn north heading to Fall River Lake. Here we can eat lunch. We will then tally more bird species as we drive along the west side of the lake back towards our final destination. The ‘Fall River Mills—Bank Swallow nest site’ Hotspot, which should guaranty us the opportunity to see our species, Bank Swallow. We are looking forward to seeing you all. Please make sure to bring a lunch, water, and snacks. Every stop we make has a large mosquito population, so please bring some type of repellant for protection. Bring sunscreen and wear a hat for your protection as well.

We will provide the smiles!

Clear Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

By Larry Jordan on April 28, 2024 in

Our May 18th field trip will be to the ponds targeting any late migrants and spring summer residents. Assemble at the treatment plant’s administration building at the end of Metz Road at 7:30 am sharp to meet your leader Tim Kashuba. This is a 1/2 day trip that may end in the early afternoon if the birding is good. Directions to the Clear Creek Plant: Take Hwy 273 south, after crossing Clear Creek and past the Win River Casino, take the second left turn at River Ranch Road and cross over the railroad tracks. Turn left on Eastside Road. Entrance is at 2200 MetzRoad on the right. Rain Cancels.

Tree Swallows Return, It Must Be Spring

By Larry Jordan on May 5, 2018 in Birds

Whenever I see Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) I know that Spring is upon us. I have witnessed small groups of these gorgeous aerial acrobats twice, from an excellent vantage point, engage in what seems to be a courtship or pair bonding display. (Click on photos for full sized images)

Here you see, what appears to be an adult male clinging to a snag, being approached by a yearling female sporting the mostly brown plumage with a hint of greenish-blue.

This activity seems to be centered around the small hole in the snag which the male has been checking out, but is obviously too small for a nesting cavity.

The male assumes a rather vertical posture and the female comes toward him, both with mouths open

This is another encounter where it is difficult to determine the sex of these two birds but I believe the bird on the right is a female

They may make several passes at each other with their mouths open like this

And then actually connect with a mock feeding display

Of course this all takes place in the blink of an eye so I never really saw this mouth to mouth connection until I viewed these photos from the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge blind I took a few years ago.

I concluded that this must be pair bonding behavior, after all, Spring is in the air! Does anyone know for sure?

Here is another photo of this beautiful species.