I had a martin flying around Sunday morning at Violet's Lock.

Rob A. in DC


>From: Frank Powers <>
>Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding <>
>To: 
>Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] C & O Canal, under Saturday's sky
>Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 09:39:26 -0400
>
> >   Since Bank Swallows are not known to nest in that part of the state,
>any
>idea on where they were coming from?<
>
>Bob,
>
>Good question.
>
>The report that Norm and Fran Saunders wrote on Bank Swallows for the '96
>edition of the "Atlas o fthe Breeding Birds of Maryland and the District of
>Columbia" notes that two breeding colonies on the Potomac in Washington
>County were identifeid by Stewart and Robbins nearly 50 years ago.  If
>those
>nest colonies still exist, they could be a possible source, assuming that
>post-breeding dispersal has begun.
>
>Even if dispersal has not yet begun, they indicate that Bank Swallows
>"forage great distances from [their] colonies" making it hard to tell
>exactly where the nesting colonies are located.  They also note reports of
>colonies in central Allegany County as well, but I don't know if they were
>on the Potomac or not.  And how far away is the Gunpowder River in
>Baltimore
>County, another "new" colony identified by Stewart/Robbins(1958).
>
>It may be also be possible that other nest sites have been established
>since
>publication of Norm and Fran's report, given their suggestion that
>development had caused, and is causing, Bank Swallows to move their
>colonies
>from the Chesapeake shoreline to tidal rivers, gravel pits and other more
>inland sites.
>
>It could also be simply that this is an unusal year, given the ciccadas.
>
>I would be interested in anyone else's experience with Swallows in general
>this year.  For instance, on Saturday the 5th, I saw several Cliff Swallows
>among the literally dozens of swallows and Chimney Swifts at Little Falls
>dam (Barn, Tree and Northern Rough-winged were also present).  First, never
>had I seen so many swallows.  Second, I had never seen Cliff Swallows
>there,
>nor have I seen them since on two trips back (including Sunday, the 6th,
>just the day after).
>
>Since the ciccada invasion, it seems to me (I haven't kept my records from
>this year current, so this is just an impression) that the numbers of
>swallows have increased enormously along the areas of the Potomac that I've
>visited regularly over the last 4 years.  However, having said that, I
>haven't seen very many Purple Martins this year.
>
>Anyone with "swallow-observations" that could shed light on Bob's question,
>or the general subject of Swallows this year, please chime in.
>
>Frank Powers
>Glen Echo, MD
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bob Ringler <>
>To:  <>
>Date: Monday, June 14, 2004 7:38 AM
>Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] C & O Canal, under Saturday's sky
>
>
> >Frank,
> >   Since Bank Swallows are not known to nest in that part of the state,
>any
>idea on where they were coming from?
> >
> >>
> >> 2 adult Bank Swallows, making buzzy sounds, took their catches to a
>fallen tree in the channel opposite the Double-crested Cormorant rookery
>where they beak-fed 2 juveniles.
> >
> >Bob Ringler
> >Eldersburg MD
> >