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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 33
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 33 |
I noticed a huge number of barn swallows over my pond today. I've had rosy red feeders in the pond since last year and I've noticed barn swallows occasionally flying around the pond and picking stuff (fish?) off of the top but nothing like today. I just stocked BG in the pond on Friday and we had a cold spell over the weekend and I'm wondering if may be my fish have died and the swallows are cleaning them up. I haven't noticed any dead fish along the shore however and you would think that I would have. Any info on swallows would be helpful. Thanks, J. Street.
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,075
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,075 |
Joe,
Those swallows are chasing bugs, mosquitoes specifically. They are great to have around the pond. They love to dip and dive and occasionally hit the top of the water...enjoy them, They are part of the good guys.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 33
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 33 |
Meadowlark,
Thanks for the response. I’ve got herons, both great blue and little green and kingfishers and last year I had a white egret that really seemed to enjoy the fatheads. Its good to know that I've got something that likes to eat mosquito’s as opposed to fish. Thanks again.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939 Likes: 268
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939 Likes: 268 |
I agree completely with Meadowlark. Barn Swallows eat a tremendous amount of insects - enough that we put up with the s*** that comes with having them nest on our front porch each Summer.
I like how they fly a "Combat Air Patrol" around me while I am bush-hogging or cutting hay, picking off the bugs I have kicked up with the tractor. Sometimes there are 30 or 40 of them wheeling around within 20 yards or so.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,075
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,075 |
Theo,
They do the same thing to me when I'm out on the tractor. Its great to watch them because they are such terrific flyers. Great birds.
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 183
Member
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Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 183 |
The swallows come into my frog pond and completely pick all the water beetles from the surface. The beetle population rebounds in 2-3 weeks and the swallows return and do it again. Great fun to watch.
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,721
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,721 |
purple martins will do the same thing and can be attracted to your pond just by putting up a place for them to live.
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