Tree swallows are working steadily over the water this June, diving and banking…

June 25, 2026Taconic Mountains

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Tree swallows are working steadily over the water this June, diving and banking to snatch aquatic insects mid-flight — the kind of feeding activity that looks peaceful but is actually a window into the health of the system below. The two river segments where they hunt are listed on the federal impaired-waters list, which means the water quality here is already documented as compromised.

Yet the swallows are still here, still nesting, still feeding. The real test will come in July, when the chicks fledge. Chick survival and condition — how heavy they are, how soon they take to the air — is an ecological ledger that reflects what those insects carry in their bodies. Watershed contamination writes itself into prey quality before it shows in the birds. The fledgling count will tell us whether this margin is holding or closing.

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