[SBB] unusual flock behavior?

["R. Strait" <[[email protected]]>]

Hello,

While walking at Sunnyvale Baylands Park this evening I noticed a lot of
birds on the now dried mud flat out from the observation platform at the end
of the Wave Walk.  With binoculars I could tell that the birds were small,
blackish above and white underneath.  They were too far away for me to
identify the species.  There were about 150 birds and they stayed on the
dry, seemingly barren surface for all of the time I watched them.

The most likely species would probably be Cliff Swallows since these birds
fly over the park daily.  But, if they were indeed Cliff Swallows, what
would they have been doing gathering in such large numbers and staying on
the ground for an extended period?  All this occurred right after 7:00 p.m.
I thought the birds might have been larger than Swallows, but at such a
distance I couldn't tell.  I sure could have used a telescope at this point.

Is gathering on the ground in large numbers something that Swallows do?  I'd
appreciate any comments.  I may try to take a telescope tomorrow evening and
hope for a repeat performance.  I'll report back if I learn something more.

Rosalie Strait

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