Swifts & Swallows

These are small birds that are often seen over water. They both feed on flying insects, which they catch on the wing, and over water seems to be a good place to do that. At night, these birds are replaced by bats, doing the same thing. You are unlikely to get a good look at any of these, as they are all very fast and agile fliers.

Chimney Swift

Note the almost absence of a tail and straight wings of the Chimney Swift.

-- Wikipedia


Barn Swallow

Note the graceful forked tail and swept wings of the Barn Swallow.

-- Wikipedia


You are unlikely to ever see anything of either of these birds except a dark silhouette against the sky. Nontheless, they are easy to tell apart. While both are highly acrobatic in flight, neither is as downright erratic as a bat. No need to worry about bats - they have excellent senses, and the last thing they want to do is crash into you!


Fanwort

Fanwort is a fully aquatic true plant. It grows steadily through the warm months, and can choke-out large areas, then dies back in the winter. Fanwort produces tiny flowers above the surface.

Printed from njkayak.net