Renamingis hard to swallow

THE powers that control the world of ornithology have decreed that we now call them European barn swallows but most Irish people just call them swallows. 

In Europe we only have one swallow, all the related species are called martins. In north America it’s different, they have half a dozen swallow species so confusion can occur and the word ‘barn’ is a useful addition.

There were a lot of them around the river the other day and I sat watching them for a while. Many were flying low and fast over the water, occasionally turning right or left and occasionally dipping their beaks into the river. Most experts on swallows are adamant that they feed by catching flying insects on the wing and that when they dip down to the water surface they are drinking. Close observation will reveal that this is only partly true.