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Kyk Daar! Watch Amazing Swallow Scene in Free State

The swallows in the Free State at this time of year are quite something to behold. Watch footage below, filmed by Laurie Jean Ross while she was en route to Kroonstad from Gauteng. “Every fly over was covered,” says Laurie, who filmed the scene a few weeks ago. “Should still be here for summer.” Ester […]

The swallows in the Free State at this time of year are quite something to behold. Watch footage below, filmed by Laurie Jean Ross while she was en route to Kroonstad from Gauteng.

“Every fly over was covered,” says Laurie, who filmed the scene a few weeks ago. “Should still be here for summer.”

Ester Beukes, who travelled through the Free State a couple of days ago from Gauteng to Knysna, confirmed that every bridge is covered.

Free State this week. Photo by Ester Beukes

“You know you are in the Free State when you can see yesterday, today and tomorrow at the same time… and hundreds of swallows and their nests under every bridge,” she says.

The swallows build mud nests in colonies under the bridges, and zoom around in awesome aerial patterns to catch and feed off insects in the air.

Watch Swallows Under the Bridge in the Free State, South Africa

Here’s a close-up of the swallows’ nests (feeding nestlings), taken under a bridge in Northern California:

YouTube screenshot