It is rather fitting, I believe, that today I saw my 100th species on Day 100 of the Big Year. 

I was sitting quite peacefully at the pond behind Pitt Community College as I often do on lunch, and was disturbed from my lunch by some swallows flying around and making a hubbub. They started getting closer and closer to the car, but were moving too fast for me to see if they were anything other than the Barn Swallows I assumed they were. I assumed incorrectly. 

Without warning one of the little blighters landed right on the wing mirror, gave me a brief glance and took flight again after a little hop. It was a pale brown on top and dirty white underneath; eminently not a barn swallow. With no bird book to guide me I cut short my lunch-time lazing and headed back to work to confirm the identity of my lunch guest. I am pleased to say it was a Bank Swallow, presumably a cousin of the Sand Martins of blighty. Here’s a rough example of what I saw. 

bank swallow