This is the time of year when Tree Swallows gather in flocks of thousands of individuals on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. It is quite a spectacle and I have posted photographs from the event in the past. These are a few from this year.
This is a small portion of a flock that was roosting and flying around the marsh. They are blanketing the tops of the reeds.
They dip their beaks into the water for a drink as they fly over the ponds.
But this year I captured another behavior…bathing on the fly. Tree Swallows will dip into the water, rise up and then shake off the water in order to take a little bath.
They will continue to gather on the refuge for a little longer and fuel up for their journey south by dining on insects and bayberries. Then they will disappear until next spring when they are a welcome sight after the winter months.
Birds in My Viewfinder 