The Lincolnshire Bird Club

This afternoon, I visited the River Freshney where it crosses the A1136 near Little Coates Church.
There were a large number of swallows and house martins, (impossible to estimate the number of each accurately, but 50 or more) and a few swifts, hawking up and down the river.
Several of the swallows had a pink flush to their underparts. Is this normal and did I notice it because I was looking more carefully than I usually do after reading reports of a red-rumped swallow further south?
At least one bird had distinctly red underparts, (the colour reminded me of a male redstart). It is also possible that the upperparts were less black, and therefore bluer looking, than the other birds.
I am not familiar with the subspecies of swallow that occur further south and east and would welcome comments on my observations.
Thank you
Martin Francis

martin read my posting of red breasted swallow during the recent rspb trip to titchwell

terry whalin