Time Spent Making Art: WHERE HAVE ALL THE SWALLOWS GONE?

Sunday 3 September 2017

WHERE HAVE ALL THE SWALLOWS GONE?

Where Have All The Swallows Gone?

It’s early September, but there are already signs of autumn aplenty, cool mornings, the odd tree that has changed colour, geese migrating, and sightings of confusing fall warblers as they begin to migrate south to their wintering grounds.

Used to be at this time of the year we’d head out to the nearby marsh to view migrating swallows. Come the evening twilight the limbs of the dead trees out on the marsh would be laden with thousands of different migrating species of swallows. It was an incredible sight. The mass of swallows would grow for several days, then when the weather was favourable, the swallows would migrate enmass. One evening their would be thousand of swallows clinging to every available branch, and the next morning they would be gone save one, or two, who no doubt were dozing when the order was given, and found themselves left behind.

It’s different today, few swallows nest in the marsh area, just a few Tree Swallows where at one time there were, in addition to Tree Swallows, a good number of Barn and Bank Swallows and Purple Martins. In fact, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve even seen a Bank, or Barn Swallow. Unfortunately, it’s not just at the marsh that we visit, but all over Ontario the swallow numbers are down dramatically, as much as 65% by some estimates. I’m not surprised, what with urban development seemingly out of control, much of the swallow habitat is disappearing.

It’s sad what we’re doing, however, most persons are not aware wrapped up in their complicated lives, struggling to survive in our screwed up world. I can only hope that the swallows will make a comeback. In the meantime, I can say that once upon a time there were Barn Swallows aplenty, a marvel to behold as they skimmed the surface of ponds and marshes feeding on flying insects, and that I was once privileged to witness their comings and goings.