LL-L "Lexicon" 2010.05.28 (03) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

=====================================================
*L O W L A N D S - L - 28 May 2010 - Volume 03*
lowlands.list at gmail.com - http://lowlands-l.net/
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
Archive: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-08)
Language Codes: lowlands-l.net/codes.php
=====================================================


From: Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at mweb.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2010.05.27 (01) [EN]

Hi Ron and all,



In Afrikaans we call swifts and swallows ‘swaels’ or ‘swaeltjies’.

‘Your’ specie is a visiting breeder, which we call the ‘Europese windswael’.



I’ve seen old mud nests in barns and storerooms on farms (sometimes longer
than a meter) to which the same breeding pair continuously add.



Swallows (Hirundinidae) are distinguished by its more angular wings rather
than

the sickle-shaped wings of the swifts (Micropodidae). (From Roberts’ *Birds
of South Africa*]



The swifts are ‘clingers’ and the swallows are ‘perchers’.

Other swifts in Africa and especially southern/eastern/western Africa are:

*Apus pallidus              *Bruin windswael          [Pallid swift]

*Apus barbatus            *Swart windswael         [Black swift]

*Apus bradfieldii*                                               [Bradfield’s
swift] (seen in Namibia, southern Botswana and north-west RSA).

*Apus aequatorialis      *Bont windswael           [Mottled swift] (in
Zimbabwe)

*Apus caffer                 *Witkruis windswael     [White-rumped swift]
(all southern Africa but for Botswana)

*Apus horus*                 Horus windswael        [Horus swift] eastern
areas. Breeding colonies found as far south as Eastern (Knysna) and Western
Cape.

*Apus affinis                *

*Apus melba*

* *

Here they also indicate approaching rain.  I’ve been watching their swooping
low and screaming while they feed.

I suspect that i) insects are mobilized by the increased barometric pressure
/ionization/ prior to rain and thunder

or ii) there is increased condensation which gets the flies and insects
going.



Cheerio,

Elsie Zinsser





=========================================================
Send posting submissions to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
Send commands (including "signoff lowlands-l") to
listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands.list at gmail.com
http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=118916521473498<http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#%21/group.php?gid=118916521473498>
=========================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20100528/26447ce6/attachment.htm>