Yesterday morning many martins and swallows were gathered near this pond on wires and trees. They would chatter then scatter in groups and feed on insects swooping over the pond like this and over fields nearby. The numbers were huge and it was wonderful to see.
"Graceful in flight, musical in its pre-dawn singing, this big swallow is one of our most popular birds. Almost all Purple Martins in the east now nest in birdhouses put up especially for them. Martin housing has a long history: some Native American tribes reportedly hung up hollow gourds around their villages to attract these birds. Purple Martins migrate to South America for the winter, but before leaving, they may gather to roost in groups of thousands in late summer."
"Pieds Nus sur les Limaces" de Fabienne Berthaud (2010) avec Diane Kruger, Ludivine Sagnier, Denis Ménochet, Anne Benoît, Brigitte Catillon, Jacques Spiesser, et les participations de Jean-Pierre Martins, Gaëtan Gallier et Reda Kateb, avril 2024.