Took a quick scouting trip at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs this morning in preparation of the tour tomorrow and was lucky enough to spot these gorgeous Tree Swallows hanging out on the fence line.
Normally these pretty little feathered gems are always on the wing so it was awesome to catch them perched on the fence.
I watched them catching insects and inspecting a nest box for about 15 minutes before moving on to another spot.
So cool!

Despite that which their name implies, Tree Swallows are best found flying over open fields and ponds using the trees only to roost and nest. Although they mostly eat insects, unlike other swallows they will also eat berries, a habit that lets them survive colder weather here in North Carolina during the early spring months before there is an ample supply of insects.

Tree Swallows nest in the holes of trees excavated by Woodpeckers and although they aren’t known to be a widespread breeder here in NC, they have been observed in increasing numbers to raise their families in nest boxes in the western and central parts of the Tarheel state.
Look for them in mid-Mar to mid-May, and again late Jul into Oct.

By the way, spring migration is coming!
Wanna join me out there?
Bird loving photographers of all skill levels are invited to take part in all the trips I’ve got scheduled for 2021 in North Carolina.
Make sure you check out my upcoming birding tours list here on the BWNC website and reserve your spot today!
Or shoot me a DM and I’ll send you a link to the schedule.

Photos & videos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc