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Return of the Swallows to Chabot Festival Festivities start at noon in the Cesar Chavez Plaza near the Cafeteria. Swallow nest and habitat searches are on two Alameda County Trips, Saturday and Sunday, 19 & 20 April led by Phil Gordon, Ohlone Audubon and Sandy Ferreira, Fremont Parks & Recreation (see details in the festival booklet.) Field Trips to see swallows
Apr. 19, Sat., 11:00 a. m., Return of the Swallows Festival $
Swallow Festival 2005 Report The annual appearance and disappearance of swallows challenged people of earlier civilizations to explain the phenomenon. Early beliefs held that swallows sprang from the earth in spontaneously, only to disappear like fall leaves. The early Greeks held Spring Swallow festivals, catching and anointing the birds with oil, then releasing them to carry away ill luck. Much harder on swallows was the Eastern practice to cook them to creating a divine concoction of aromatic herbs and swallows. One drank it down to gain supernatural healing powers. Another practice, not so hard on the swallow, was use wonderful mixture of dung from a badger, a cuckoo, and a swallow to cure the bite of a mad dog. In 1496 the Italians decreed that swallows were to be protected from harm. To this day they celebrate a countrywide Swallow Day. Today they participate with other countries in organizations dedicated especially to species of global conservation concern. Swallow species listed currently at the near-risk level for Neotropical Migratory Birds are Purple Martin, Sand Martin (called Bank Swallow in U.S.), Cliff Swallow and Barn Swallow. Our Cliff Swallows are Federally and State protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. International treaties include Mexico, Japan, Russia, Canada and Great Britain. In 1998 the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act was amended to add a prohibition to take migratory birds with bait. An individual knowingly committing such an act could be fined $100,000 and spend a year in jail; an organization could be fined $200,000. Professor Francisco Zermeno acted as Master of Ceremonies and cheered us through the festivities in Cesar' Chavez Square on Campus. In the background Placido Domingo sang the Swallow Song. Several booths were set up by local agencies and/or organizations including: Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District, Hayward Arts Council, Cal State Hayward Department of Biology, Hayward Homing Pigeon Club, Ohlone Audubon Society, and Wild Birds Unlimited of Dublin. Unique to this year’s celebration, was the OAS sponsored fossil exhibit from the Wesley Gordon Museum of Discovery being developed in Fremont at the Math/Science Nucleus. Horse, camel, mammoth, and Giant Short-faced Cave Bear "bones" were on display. Several contests offered participants chances to win prizes in the categories of Swallow Quiz, Art, Poetry and First Sighting. Question Winners Question 1. - J. Cooper: How many Cliff Swallow NESTS can be fund on Chabot's Campus this nesting season. Ans: 489. Question 2. - Courtney Poon: How many swallow species (kinds) have been found in the USA? NOTE: There are 75+ species (including 148 subspecies worldwide. Ans: 14 Question 3. - Mike Norman: How many SUB-species (races) of the kinds you've guessed occur in the USA? Ans: 26 - 28 Question 4. - Mike Norman: Place an X in the box next to the swallow species with the longest recorded life span and indicate number of years: Ans. Barn Swallow. Age in years: 29. Art Contest Winners 1st: Diane Morrison., 2nd: Masumi Boshita. 3rd: Wendy Hertle, 1st Hon. Mention: Laurianne Uy Swallow Festival, 2005Education Committee Poetry Contest Winners 1st Place: David Ky, 2nd Place: Kalena DeVries, 3rd Place: Juan Carlos Hurtado, 1st Honorable Mention: Moel Fremming, 2nd Honorable mention: Jun Fermin, 3rd Honorable Mention: Frozan Kohajazada Prizes were awarded by Art Professor Janice Golojuch and Literature Professor Shoshana Tenn. Winning poems were read by student authors, Ms.Tenn and Phil Gordon. First Swallow Sighting (Chabot Campus Contest): Jane Vallely and Francisco Zermeno for sighting a small group March 8. Gift for the first sighting was a new Biography of W. Otto Emerson, Artist/Ornithologist of Hayward in late 1800's - early 1900's, donated by Hayward Area Historical Society. Gifts were arranged or purchased by Ohlone Audubon Society, William G. Charles and Phil E Gordon. Art and Poetry winners received a fine Certificate and 1st Place = $50; 2nd Place = $35; 3rd Place = $25 Special thanks go to Sandy Ferreira, who conducted the Saturday morning portion of the field trip to Lake Elizabeth. Also thanks to William Hammersky who designed the fine Cliff Swallow migration map in the Booklet. Also to William and Chris Charles for counting 489 Cliff Swallow nests at Chabot, and producing the data sheets reporting this for our ongoing research. Anyone wishing to receive a copy of this year's 32 Page, Swallow Festival Booklet (All About Swallows) please Email your request to Phil Gordon: PAGPEG@aol.com. In addition to seeing Cliff Swallows circling above the Plaza, a exciting highlight of the day was Olivia Rayas’s release of two dozen Homing Pigeons. They flew off, circled overhead in their orientation maneuver twice, then headed for their home dovecote, in south Hayward. The observers cheered them on—con mucho gusto! —PEG
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