The famed swallows of Capistrano, Cliff Swallows that yearly return to the historic church in southern California, have chosen not to build their mud nests at the Mission San Juan Capistrano this year. Instead, they chose a nearby country club. Even among birds, apparently, there is no accounting for taste.
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Here’s a classic case of a newswire story that is spread around the internet simply because it is available and sounds interesting. Unfortunately it is full of misinformation. The Cliff Swallows have been gradually deserting the famed Mission San Juan Capistrano as a nesting site for at least 25 years. This phenomenon absolutely DID NOT begin this year. And most of the swallows which might have otherwise nested at the mission, DID NOT re-locate 50 miles away at the country club mentioned in the story. Their most preferred nesting sites are much closer–they use the bridges that carry Interstate 5 over the lagoons in northern San Diego County.
Come on now Jeffrey, why let facts get in the way of a good story? 🙂
It is a funny story, but nature and those beautiful Swallows knows better than any man made up tale~