Portage River Farm

Sunset is my favorite time of day. The long shadows and yellowing light signal that the work of the day is drawing to an end, whether you are ready or not. The countryside takes on a dream-like quality as the sky puts on a dazzling and fleeting display.

I glance to the horizon as I scurry about to put away tools or push myself to get just a little further on a project before it becomes too dim to see. At times the sights overwhelm even my desire to get one more thing accomplished and I rush into the house to retrieve whomever is at hand to join me in the front yard to watch the last of the light show.

During the summer evenings, the colorful skies serve as a backdrop for a display of beauty and skill by our resident barn swallows. Their flight paths take them in swinging arcs over our heads as they turn to make yet another pass low to the ground above our hayfield. Their graceful acrobatics are so pleasant to watch as they dart back and forth across the meadows scooping insects from the air in their beaks. How they can see the insects at that speed and in that dim light is beyond me.



To my pleasant surprise, I have discovered that I have the ability to schedule a command performance by large numbers of these aerial artists whenever I wish. The simple act of firing up my tractor and beginning to mow the hayfield brings them from far and wide at any time of day. As I make my way back and forth across the field, I can watch several dozen swallows zip through the air at daredevil speeds. As they swoop and glide, it is as if I were watching warplanes reenacting a dogfight from the best seat in the house.

I have yet to drive into any trees as a result of my swallow-watching but a careful observer may note that my mowing cuts tend to meander a bit more than they should. To me, the flight of these little acrobats is no less captivating and graceful than a pod of dolphins playing in the surf.

Photo by IanF, http://www.birdforum.net/