Clear Lake hosts a vast number of migratory birds but only one species, the cliff swallow, travels thousands of miles to get here. It”s a tiny bird and it”s one of nature”s miracles that a bird so small can travel such a great distance.
The cliff swallow is 5 to 6 inches in length and is the only square-tailed swallow in California. In contrast, the barn swallow is distinguished by its long, deeply forked tail. The cliff swallow is also recognized by its pale, orange-brown rump, white forehead, dark rust-colored throat, and steel blue crown and back.
Cliff swallows are considered “migratory birds” and they spend the winter in South America. They start their migration north in the late winter or early spring. The famed swallows of the Mission San Juan Capistrano in Southern California are cliff swallows. They always return to the Mission on March 19. This year, because of the late spring, the swallows are arriving later than normal to Lake County.
Swallows only migrate during the daylight hours because they have to feed as they fly and their body uses up a tremendous amount of energy. Their feeding habits consist of catching flying insects and they can catch even the smallest of insects.
Upon arriving at their selected nesting area, they build their nests beneath the docks or beneath the eaves of buildings located near water. Often they will return to the same nest from the previous year.
Their nests are gourd-shaped and made from mud and lined with feathers. The birds gather the mud by rubbing their chests and feet in the wet mud. The mud forms little balls and sticks to their chest and feet, which they carry to the nest. The entrance to the nest always points downward. Both the female and male build the nest, which can take several days to complete.
They nest in colonies and some of the docks around the lake will have up to a dozen or more nests. Bridges, such as the one that crosses Rodman Slough, are also popular nesting areas. The female lays from four to six white eggs. An unusual trait of the cliff swallow is that a female will often move her eggs into the nest of another swallow.
Both the male and female incubate the eggs, which hatch in 12 to 16 days. Within about 20 days after hatching the young are ready to fly. They spend the summer feeding and gaining strength for the long journey southward in the fall. They start their southward migration in late September and are gone by November.
Whereas swallows are part of the Lake County landscape, they”re not popular with everyone. They tend to build their nests in unwanted places and often become pests, leaving their droppings on decks and other places. However, they are an important part of the county”s ecosystem.
Many dock owners around the lake install fine mesh nets around their docks to discourage the swallows from nesting. Some will even go as far as to destroy the nests. Technically, because the swallow falls under the Migratory Bird Act, destroying an active nest is illegal. The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) considers Feb. 15 to Sept. 1 to be the swallow nesting season. Completed nests during this breeding season cannot be touched without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Outside of these dates, the nests can be removed without a permit. During the nesting season a permit authorizing nest removal will be issued only if it can be justified by strong and compelling reasons.
Lake County also has a close relative of the cliff swallow, the barn swallow. Whereas a barn swallow will occasionally build a nest on a dock, most build their nests inland. Its long, forked tail identifies a barn swallow. The interesting thing about barn swallows is that the female selects her mate by the length of his tail.
Swallows are important in that they help control the insects. In addition they are fun to watch as they dart around the docks.
Lake County is more famous for its outstanding fishing than its bird watching, but the county is rich in various species of birds and it”s amazing the number of tourists who come to the county just to observe the bird life. It”s not only the fish that swim in the lake but also the birds associated with our wetlands that make the county so intriguing.
