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Bird of the Month Violet-green Swallows are small sleek birds with long pointed wings. Their iridescent green and violet upper parts contrast with white underparts that wrap around to the upper side of the rump creating white "saddlebags" easily seen in flight. Violet-green Swallows are graceful aerial acrobats that fly at various heights, often over water, in search of flying insects. Violet-green Swallows are year-round residents in central Mexico. In winter, part of the population migrates south as far as Nicaragua. In summer, much of the population moves north into northern Mexico, the western U.S. and Canada, and southeastern Alaska, where they nest in old woodpecker holes or naturally occurring cavities in dead trees and sometimes in cliffs and nest boxes. They nest in small colonies of up to 25 pairs, often near water. The Violet-green Swallows that Tom Paulek saw over Four Seasons on April 3 were migrating from their Mexican wintering quarters to their nesting sites somewhere between here and Alaska. ~ Steve Edelman Birding CLUB Spring is in the air at Four Seasons as migrant breeders arrive, highlighted by the March arrival of our very own endangered species, Bell's Vireo. Nesting is starting among the newly arrived migrant breeders as well as among our resident species, including very conspicuous Cooper's Hawk and Common Raven nests along Trail B. There was anticipation leading up to the April 3 bird walk because every April bird walk since the club began has produced a new record number of species, most recently in April 2020 when we set the current record of 43 species. April is the birdiest month at Four Seasons (and anywhere in So Cal except in the mountains) because there are more birds that winter here than summer (breed) here. In early April, when our bird walks occur, all our wintering birds are still around. In addition, new migrants are arriving to add to the total. During the morning bird walk our masked group saw a total of 25 species, including two singing Bell's Vireos. During the day, Tina Canon, Tom Paulek, Nanette Scott, Barbara Wasco, and I spotted 16 additional species, bringing our total to 41 species for the day, second only to the 43 species seen last April. The highlight was Tom Paulek's sighting of a Violet-green Swallow, a Four Seasons first record and FS bird #111! ~ Steve Edelman, steve.h.edelman@gmail.com FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MAY 2021 35 Violet-green Swallow, like the ones sighted by Tom Paulek over Four Seasons on April 3 Adult male Lawrence's Goldfinch, like one seen by Barbara Wasco during the April bird walk. Photo by Club member Gerrie Karczynski, taken on April 3 at nearby Whitewater Preserve Lark Sparrow, like the one seen by the Birding Club during the April bird walk. Photo by Club member John Hansen, taken last year on a Four Seasons fence

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