Picture from Warwick Tarboton
For the past week or so my Greater Striped Swallows have been getting increasingly more restless until, finally, this morning they were gone - mother, father and two babies. Nobody to greet me on the bathroom wall, no twittering and chattering coming from the TV satellite dish, no more watching them throwing their little heads back and uttering their little gurgling song... I DO wish them a safe journey to their summer destination and I will expectantly be waiting for their return in September....
The Greater Striped Swallow (Hirundo cucullata syn. Cecropis cucullata) is a large swallow. It breeds in Southern Africa, arriving from its central African non-breeding grounds around July-August in the Limpopo Province, Western and Eastern Cape. It reaches Swaziland, Botswana, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal during September-October, eventually leaving the region around April-May.
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It's a beautiful bird, Maree. I wish them safe journey, too.
ReplyDeleteAaaaw, thank you for that Kathryn! I really look forward to their return in spring again.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful this one! I also live in a city that receives migrating swallows, ours from North America, in September/October and now we are saying goodbye to them... I'll miss them too!
ReplyDeleteHi Glaucia! We really are blessed to have them visit us, aren't we? But at lease we can look forward to their return! Mine have been returning here to my property (in South Africa) for the past 5 years now.... Thank you for your visit to my blog, much appreciated!
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