Summer Swallows

Northern Rough-winged and Bank Swallows at Montrose Dunes

Northern Rough-winged and Bank Swallows at Montrose Dunes (click to see the larger version)

Five species of swallows nest at Montrose – Barn, Bank, Northern Rough-winged, Tree, and Purple Martin. In mid summer, the young and adults of several of these species like to perch on the ropes and fencing in the Dunes. If you want to work on swallow identification and aging, the Dunes provide an excellent opportunity for study and photography. Similar species will often queue up side by side, making the differences between them more obvious. Watching the adults feed their begging children is also entertaining.