Yesterday afternoon, I birded sections of the Arkansas River at Valco Ponds and below the dam at Lake Pueblo State Park (Rock Canyon area). At Valco Ponds, Violet-green Swallows, with a few Barn Swallows and a rare Northern Rough-winged were swarming low over the river as far upstream and downstream as could be seen with bins. I walked a section of the river toward the state park and stopped at several points to view the river. There was no end to the flow of swallows. At times, groups would perch on trees or lines, from a few birds to a hundred or so.
Below the dam, the scene was the same. The numbers were doubtless in the thousands.
Later at the Canon City Riverwalk more modest numbers of Violet-greens were similarly sallying up and down stream all along the river. I assume they were hawking for midges.
The number of swallows, particularly Violet-greens, moving through Colorado yesterday must have been amazing.
Chuck Hundertmark