Tree Swallows and Feathers

Tree Swallows glisten in the June sunlight, as they swoop and glide, their arcs interlacing in the air. When a white feather flutters down among them, one swallow snatches the feather in its bill and flies upward, as another gives chase. After a moment, the lead bird lets loose the feather, which drifts lazily, until the second bird swoops to catch it in midair. Loose feathers are important for Tree Swallows. They line their nests thickly with them.

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