San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Tree Swallow

I fly home tonight. Today, the last day of my trip, was the very first day that I woke to sunshine. So I made time for one last trip up Jamboree Road to the San Joaquin Sanctuary. I had a great morning's birding - it made up for the miserable conditions for the rest of the trip, almost.

A highlight was when I was snapping a pair of Tree Swallows returning to feed young in a nest box, and a ranger came up to band the baby birds. There were two young, twelve days old.

The Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, is migratory, breeding in North America and wintering in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They nest in natural or artificial cavities near water and readily use nest boxes.

They also swoop people straying too close to their nests like miniaturised Australian Magpies.