Tree Swallow

There is nothing like a brisk fall day with the wind swirling, and there, in the distance, is a massive swarm of something. There are thousands of them, looking just like gnats. As you get closer, you notice the swarm gets into tighter funnels that, in sync, peel off into the nearby Bayberry bushes. They are not gnats, they are birds! Like flycatchers, they hover to pick berries off the bushes. Looking closer you notice many are sitting in the bushes. All of sudden, they take off in unison to join the other swarms; their wings make a whirring noise amongst a cacophony of calls notes.

Tree Swallows are found just about all year round with a few lingering into the middle of winter. It is in the fall that the massive numbers arrive. They start in August, with them lining the utility wires at Cape May Point, along New England Road, and similar places. It seems like the many thousands that we once got in August have dwindled recently; perhaps more arriving later in the season. They feed on insects, doing quick darts to grab anything nearby. As the insect populations dwindle through fall, they take advantage of the plentiful Bayberries and other fruit. Don’t be wearing your best stuff if you are stood underneath a big flock or you might end up having purple blotches on your clothes and hair.

The Bayberry bushes are found mostly along the beaches so all the way along the seafront is good but particularly on South Cape May Meadows and the State Park. The windier it is, the more concentrated they are. On mild, calm, sunny days they spread out; often up in orbit, wherever the insects are. When it is really cold, they sit on the sandy beaches. This is the warmest place as sand is really good at absorbing and retaining heat; it’s also the best place to burn the soles of your feet in summer!

Tree Swallows have short bills. However, they are quite broad. This is typical of birds that catch things with their bill on the wing. They are able to open their bill very wide making a big basket as they swoop around for the food to enter their mouth. They have pointed wings designed for flying long distances and fast speeds. They are also quite broad-winged, when they don’t hold them angled-back, with a slightly forked tail allowing them to be incredibly agile for chasing things.

Tree Swallows really stick together and are by far the commonest swallow in these parts. When there are hundreds of swallows together it means it is all, or mostly, this species. In the evening, all the swallows come together to roost at favored sites; usually a reed bed. In August and September, it is usually Fishing Creek Marsh; in October and November Pond Creek Marsh. Luckily, my two houses have looked over these two places. On occasion I have seen as many as 100,000 Tree Swallows going to roost in Pond Creek Marsh. The sky is a blanket of spots. As it gets closer to sunset, the pack gets increasingly more compact. Eventually they form tight ‘snaky’ funnels, narrowest at the bottom. They take a number of dummy runs before the snake just descends into the reeds at incredible speed, and remarkable agility. In other countries, murmurations, particularly for Starlings, are tourist attractions. Hopefully, they will be here one of these days.

With the reopening of Pond Creek Marsh slated for next summer, with a large observation deck and eight blinds, hopefully sunrise and sunset gatherings of people will be able to share and celebrate the incredible roost-site spectacles. Anywhere from 5,000 to 100,000 birds use Fishing Creek Marsh with most east of the road that crosses the marsh. There is no great place to watch from, yet!

Only a few Tree Swallows manage to stay through the winter. They are quite common but spread out individually in summer. They nest in tree cavities and are quite easy to attract to nest boxes in open areas. They often sit on the nest box and are approachable. They are often singing; it would be more appropriately be called twittering. 

The male is two-tone; clean white below and a stunning iridescent medium blue. It is such a unique color, which being iridescent, is just amazing to watch. It seems a perfectly appropriate color for a beach area. The juveniles are medium brown above. The adult females are highly variable; the older, bright ones being similar to males, dull ones being brown, with most being a combination of brown and blue. 

All the swallows occur in good numbers in Cape May: Cliff, Barn, Bank, Rough-winged, and even Cave in November. They can all be seen sitting together on utility wires or migrating past overhead. They all have different sizes, shapes, and patterns of color so have fun looking for their differences. It is not so difficult working them out if you really take the time. While their agility and funky colors are great to watch, personally, it is the incredible spectacles of swarming masses in fall that blow my mind. That’s the great thing about nature, there are so many brilliant things going on all around us.