Gary,

Last year, later in February, it was a Violet-green Swallow that I saw with
icicles on its tail, so they're not impervious either.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/58148027 at N07/38584644970/in/datetaken/
I saw a Tree Swallow here Friday that was lucky enough to not suffer icing,
but today's snowy weather might change that.

Good Birding,
Kevin Lucas
Selah, Yakima County, WA
listing.aba.org/ethics/


On Mon, Feb 4, 2019 at 7:35 PM Gary Bletsch <garybletsch at yahoo.com> wrote:


> Dear Tweeters,

>

> Since it was a snow day off from school, I went birding around Skagit

> County today. Roads were pretty good. Samish Flats had hardly any birder or

> photographer activity. At Samish Island Public Beach, surf was up, but

> nobody except ducks took advantage of the waves, oddly enough. My scope

> almost blew over there--north wind was blowing a near gale.

>

> At both Hayton Reserve and the Fir Island Game Range, I observed Barn

> Swallows that were foraging by dipping onto the surface of near-gelid

> water. All three of the Barn Swallows that I observed were dangling icicles

> from their forked tails. The Tree Swallow that I saw at the Game Range did

> not have any icicles. Maybe the forked tail is not such a useful feature in

> this weather.

>

> The puddle at Ershig and Field Roads that had a Glaucous Gull yesterday

> had zero gulls today, only a huddle of Mallards.

>

> At the Game Range, just walking along the roadside slough by the

> boat-launch parking lot was the best way to observe passerines. There I saw

> a Hermit Thrush, a White-throated Sparrow, and lots of other birds.

>

> Yours truly,

>

> Gary Bletsch

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>

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