Coming Soon to a Town Near You?

Last summer, Dave Patton noticed a pair of Cave Swallows going under a bridge in Lafayette.  That sighting was a first for Cave Swallow in Lafayette Parish, and another sign that Cave Swallows are continuing their northeastward march across Louisiana.

Dave and I have both visited the Lafayette nest site over the past few weeks with no sign of Cave Swallows.  Yesterday, however, I stopped and waited for a few minutes and was rewarded with a nice group of Caves.  There were 7 of them, I think.

The birds seemed pretty serious about nesting.  In addition to disappearing under the bridge for short periods of time, the birds were engaged in what appeared to be aerial courtship or competition.

At times, their maneuvering reminded me of Chimney Swifts in flight.  

It's amazing to think that Cave Swallows have gained a foothold so close to home that I can drive 5 minutes and get my fix.  If this colony persists, there's no shortage of similar sites nearby.  Soon, instead of living on the edge of known Cave Swallow range, we might find ourselves well behind the front line of their range expansion.