News

-URDAIBAI RESERVE- This weekend saw heavy rain and low temperatures. The adverse conditions made life really difficult for many birds which catch insects on the wing. The swallows had a particularly bad time.

Many swallows arrived at the beginning of April to breed in the farmhouses in our area. On their arrival they set about repairing old nests from previous years or building new ones. Then they began to mate. The bad weather caught many of them incubating their eggs or looking after their young.

They were not alone in their suffering. Other swallows which were affected were on their migratory journeys to the north, to countries like Finland and Sweden. Huge flocks of them often stop overnight in the reed beds in the Urdaibai marshes.

Due to the bad weather, the quantity if insects decreased dramatically and the swallows´ food supply became suddenly scarce. Weakened by hunger they searched desperately for refuge and warmth in garages and porches. The nests of other swallows became a haven for many.

This Monday some who were not lucky enough to survive were found dead near the marsh. Fortunately, however, the bad weather only lasted 3 days. Ten years ago almost all the swallows in Urdaibai died due to a ten day storm. It was a catastrophy.

From Urdaibai Bird Center we wish all the survivors of this weekend´s bad weather the best of luck!