Mayo conservationists launch book on their passion for swallows
Passionate conservationists Chris and Lynda Huxley have brought their love of swallows and Ireland’s natural heritage to the Wild Atlantic Words Festival in Castlebar.
Based in Belcarra, Chris is a retired professional ecologist while Lynda is a nature photographer who is well known for her volunteer conservation initiatives for swifts, swallows, house martins and sand martins across Ireland.
Together, they have carried out extensive research on Lough Carra, Mayo’s unique limestone marl lake, and in 2015 published a book on the lake.
They are also directors of the Lough Carra Catchment Association, a conservation charity dedicated to protecting the lake and its catchment.
Their latest book, Living with Swallows, tells the personal story of the swallow colony that has made its home in their outbuildings.
Over the past 20 years, they have carefully encouraged the colony, which has grown to as many as nine nesting pairs and produced hundreds of fledglings.
The book combines Chris’s observations of swallow ecology and behaviour with Lynda’s evocative photography, offering an intimate insight into the lives of these remarkable migratory birds.
During their Wild Atlantic Words presentation, the couple thanked the festival organisers for the opportunity to share their “love for swallows."
Their enthusiasm was evident as they described their annual observations of the spectacular Lough Carra swallow roost between August and September.
At its peak, as many as 20,000 swallows can gather in the reedbeds at night, resting on the stems before beginning their long migration to Africa.
Living with Swallows offers practical advice on how people can help protect nesting sites.
During their festival talk, Chris and Lynda shared video footage of the Lough Carra roost, swallows they have encountered in Africa, and Lynda’s work caring for injured and orphaned birds during the breeding season.
The book has a particularly personal connection for them. Its cover features a painting by Lynda’s late mother, Freda, while illustrations by local artist Deirdre Walsh appear throughout the book.
Summing up the significance of the birds to them, Chris described the book as “a celebration of these stunning birds that return here each year to nest and raise their young in our outbuildings - what an honour and privilege this is."