Barn Swallow

 The swallow's flight is distinctive. We can easily recognize them among the birds flying in the sky.

Several years ago, I was feeding birds at a bird feeder set up near my house. Various birds would come to it. I couldn't understand why I often saw swallows flying in the sky near my house, but they never came to my bird feeder.

While walking through the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, I had the opportunity to see and photograph these birds. And while preparing material for my blog, I read a little about them.

Well, 99 percent of swallows' diet consists of live insects. And they catch their prey on the fly. The food people offer them at bird feeders is completely unsuitable for swallows. That's why you'll never see them at your feeders.

Swallows are easiest to spot near rivers and bodies of water. It's difficult to catch them resting. They seem to fly tirelessly all day long, never stopping.

The barn swallow is the most widespread species in the swallow family. They nest in North America, Europe, and Asia. They arrive in mid-May and depart with their brood in early September. They winter in South America and South Asia. Such travelers they are.