Ringer to talk on swallows

A barn swallow photographed at the extensive roosting site at Umzumbe. Ringer Andrew Pickles will give a fascinating talk on these swallows.

BIRDLIFE Trogons birding club invites nature lovers to a barn swallow talk by Andrew Pickles, who is conducting research on the Umzumbe swallow roost site.

Andrew will chat about these fascinating little summer visitors – they used to be called European swallows – and what his research on them has revealed, at St Anne’s Church hall in Umzumbe on Saturday, December 7, at 3pm. Afterwards guests will be invited to join Andrew for a ringing session at the roost site. Cost is R30 per person for the talk and R10 per person for a visit to the ring site.

Proceeds will help to fund Andrew’s research. Each ring he uses costs him R1 and he is planning to ring about 1 500 swallows this season. People all over the world communicate with Andrew about the roost site and the ringing programme he is conducting there. Andrew was filmed ringing the swallows when the Umzumbe roost was featured in a BBC documentary two years ago.

Those responsible for the documentary are considering a return visit to update the Umzumbe swallow story this year. Andrew is also looking forward to a visit from researchers from Finland and Denmark with whom he corresponds. They plan to come to Umzumbe to see the swallows early next year.

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