A blizzard of swallows

While visiting my mother yesterday in Humarock, Massachusetts, there was a very large flock of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) circling over her house.

Tree Swallows gather in large flocks before migrating south to sites in the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.  Along the New England coast, they can often be seen eating the waxy fruit of Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica). 

It's hard to show the scale of these Tree Swallow flocks — many hundreds of birds swirling overhead.  At one point, with their white bellies glowing against the blue October sky, they looked like a blizzard of white snowflakes! 

Here's a fun series — click on the images for larger versions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who wants to count the number of birds in the last photo (above)?  :)