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When I Googled "red-rumped swallow" from the story on CBC Radio's "As It
Happens" yesterday evening, Nov. 15, 2006, here are two stories there to
augment what Judy Tufts sent us. Jim in Wolfville
--------------------
BBC News
Last Updated: Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 13:55 GMT
Hawk swoops on rare bird visitor
The swallow was spotted briefly before it was eaten.Birdwatchers who
gathered to see a rare swallow on the Angus coast were horrified when they
saw it being snatched and eaten by a hungry hawk.
Twitchers headed for Lunan Bay as word spread that enthusiasts had
discovered a bird so unusual that it was last seen in the area 20 years ago.
However, the red-rumped swallow, which is usually to be found in the
southern Mediterranean, did not last long.
A sparrowhawk swooped and snatched the swallow from the roof of a building.
Mike Sawyer, a member of a Dundee group comprising RSPB members, said: "We
were absolutely horrified. That's life I suppose."
An RSPB spokesman added: "It's very unfortunate that it was devoured after
such a short space of time, and before more people had seen it.
"Sparrowhawks do feed on small birds, and this one was probably not a great
student of what is rare and what is not.
"Sadly, it is just one of those things."
SEE ALSO
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---------------------
Ananova:
Rare swallow swallowed
Birdwatchers flocked to see a rare swallow in Scotland - only to see it
attacked and eaten by a sparrowhawk.
The red-rumped swallow, normally resident to the Mediterranean, excited
twitchers when it was spotted at Lunan Bay, near Montrose.
Word that it had arrived on the East Coast of Scotland spread quickly, and a
large crowd gathered to watch it flying over the beach.
The swallow's fatal mistake was to take a rest high on the roof of a nearby
farm building, reports The Times.
The twitchers watched in disbelief as the sparrowhawk appeared, swooped on
the swallow, crushed it with its powerful talons and flew off.
Mike Sawyer, of the Dundee branch of the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds, said: "We were horrified.
"We had just phoned local birdwatchers to tell them of this rare occurrence.
Then we had to ring them back and tell them it had been eaten."
The RSPB says the red-rumped swallow is a rare visitor to the UK but
occasionally turns up during the migrating season, probably having lost its
way.
----------
From: Judy Tufts <tandove@ns.sympatico.ca>
Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:29:53 -0400
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Subject: [NatureNS] Rare swallow found in Scotland
Anyone who missed this story about a RARE SWALLOW being found in Dundee,
Scotland, on CBC's 'AS IT HAPPENS' tonight (Wed), might be interested in
this news story - with a twist of nature - from the TELEGRAPH newspaper
(UK) web-site which I located.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/15/nbird15.xml
Cheers
Judy Tufts, Wolfville
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