Linda,


During nice weather, there are many insects flying around at all levels, but it's probably easy for the V-g Swallows to see and catch them well up in the air. During bad weather, the only insects seem to be flying around near the water, and it may be that these are all aquatic species, many of which emerge from the water during a variety of weather conditions, and they are all that's available. You've probably noticed that all of the swallow species are down flying above water bodies during bad weather.


If the weather is bad enough, few if any insects are flying, and that's when the swallows (or their young, if they are feeding them) can be in trouble.


Dennis Paulson
Seattle

----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda Phillips" <linda_phillips1252 at msn.com>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 1:53:46 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] VG swallow behavior question



I walk through Wallace Swamp Creek Park daily. I often see VG Swallows, always above to tree tops. However on rainy days like today they are soaring up & down stream just inches above the water.
Can anyone shed some light on this behavior. I assume the bugs don't fly high on rainy days, but is there more to it. Is there a bug they prefer that is high and doesn't fly in the rain so they go down to eat another kind of insect. Or do the same bugs come down to water in rainy weather?

Linda Phillips
Kenmore



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