SAND DUNES AND SALT MARSHES 



is one of the most delightful of our bird songs, 

 yet it is but little known. 



For nearly ten minutes only a few scattered 

 swallows were to be seen, when suddenly a 

 great whirring of wings was heard, and the 

 simple song of the tree swallow, poured from 

 a multitude of throats, burst upon my ear. 

 The effect was a pleasing musical jingling, 

 that seemed to shower down from the sky, as 

 many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tree 

 swallows rose in the air. As they went north 

 and west they flew for the most part lower 

 than the previous band of barn swallows, that 

 now seemed small in comparison. They did 

 not skim close to the cold sand, however, as 

 at night, but were perhaps one hundred feet 

 up. At a quarter of five a mixed flock of about 

 a hundred swallows flew over me as I lay on 

 my dune-top. In this group barn, tree, and 

 bank swallows could all be distinguished. 

 The sun rose out of the sea at eight minutes 

 of five. Another day of hunting and sport ! 



The southward migration of swallows in the 

 autumn occurs by day. Swallows are not 

 obliged to fly by night, like most of the smaller 

 birds, for two very good reasons. In the first 

 place they are strong and swift flyers, and can 



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