A Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Kinda Day

It’s always a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah kinda day for me when I can walk the boardwalk at Theler Wetlands surrounded by darting Tree and Barn Swallows. It’s a little too early for that kind of experience, but a few Tree Swallows have returned, and I always marvel at how close you can get to them before they fly off.

Not sure if this one was greeting me or complaining that I was disturbing his attempts at finding a mate, but it’s pretty unusual for one to actually vocalize while sitting on the boardwalk railing.

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Maybe they’re a little grumpy that the weather has been so variable, in the mid-60’s one day and in the high-30’s the next , but for whatever reason this one seemed annoyed that I was walking by.

LstnBdy

Judging from the number of carvings in the railing on the boardwalk out to the Sound I’m pretty sure that the boardwalk is a favorite of human young lovers, and it seems to serve the same function for the Tree Swallows.

PrSngSwlws

My favorite moments are when the swallows seem perfectly oblivious to my existence, whether resting on the rail

!stTreeSwlw

or rocketing through the air seemingly inches away from my head, diving so fast that all you see as they pass is a blur.

2 thoughts on “A Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Kinda Day”

  1. These are beautiful photos. I haven’t seen a Tree Swallow since we left Port Townsend. We had nest boxes they used every year. Such pretty birds.

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