Happy Spring Virginia Birders,
A short 15 minute swing through my neighborhood turned up some very
exciting early swallow sightings!
A Tree Swallow was perched on a wire at the intersection of Patterson
Mill Road and Rockfish Road (northeast of New Hope) and then at the
New Hope Post Office parking lot, while my dad was in the post office,
I spotted a swallow circling over the fields beyond the post office.
This one was my FOS Barn Swallow. Then a second swallow
appeared..first thought to be a Tree Swallow, no, not so! It's bright
reddish/orange throat and short square tail was clearly visible.
Cliff Swallow! I checked my Augusta County bird book and this seems
to be an early county record by a week or so (unless another early
county record has been had since the book was published). I am 100%
sure that this was a CLIFF Swallow. Then, another Barn Swallow was
also observed.
Cliff Swallow is a lifer for me, making it extra exciting.
Good birding and go find some spring birds!:)
Gabriel Mapel
New Hope, Va
