Katie Wanders : Roosting of the Tree Swallows over the Connecticut River

Two posts in one day?
You lucky readers you...

Thursday evening, I got an awesome last minute invite.

My scuba friend Dog, has a restored Lobster boat that he keeps in Essex, Connecticut-
my adorable former residence along the Connecticut River.

It was a gorgeous day and he kept talking about this bird watching extravaganza
He invited us all out for an evening "swallow cruise" with some snacks and wine.

Not so sure about bird watching but ....

wine and cheese?

I am IN.

Loving the name for this lobster boat- Jackpot!

From Maine. Does it get any better?

(I felt so fancy, bottles of wine, cheese, crackers, spreads, meats, and stuffed breads!)

Turns out the swallows were quite amazing. I guess they all gather in September above the marshes on the Connecticut River.

Apparently its called the "Roosting of the Tree Swallows"

One minute the sky is clear, the next minute about 300,000 swallows are gathering in this big organized mass, and then all of the sudden they funnel down and land in the marsh.

According to the article I linked below:

"The winter migration path is to the Carolinas and the Gulf Coast and occasionally as far north as New York and Massachusetts during September and early October. Their diet includes bayberries and this allows them to winter farther north than other swallows. An estimated 300,000 swallows congregate each evening over Goose Island and the surrounding water and perform an astounding display of avian twirls, dips and dives forming Escher-like patterns in the evening sky".

Bizarre and very cool to watch.

Here is a little article about the swallows if you want to read more about these little birdies.

Click here for the article