UMary Allen
Iinkonjane ziintaka ezifudukayo. Bachitha ihlobo kunye nathi kwaye banabantwana babo apha. Bachitha ubusika emazantsi apho kushushu khona.
Iinkonjane lusapho lwezilwanyana. Kukho iintlobo ezininzi ezahlukeneyo zayo. Ii<em>house martins, ii<em>barn swallows, ii<em>sand martins, ii<em>rock martins, nee<em>red-necked martins zihlala nathi. Ngenxa yokutshintsha kwemozulu, ziya zisanda ezinye iintlobo zegwinya eziza kuthi.
Iinkonjane ziintaka ezincinci. Kwezinye iintlobo, umsila ubonakala ngokucacileyo: uneefolokhwe ezimbini kwaye ujonge into efana naxa sisasaza ubhontsi wethu kunye nomnwe wangaphambili ukuhlukana kancinci. Abakwazi ukuhamba kakuhle ngeenyawo zabo. Kodwa abafane benze loo nto nabo.
Ziphila njani iinkonjane?
Iinkonjane zitya izinambuzane ezizingelayo emoyeni. Kwimozulu entle, ezi zinambuzane zibhabhela phezulu, ngoko ke iinkonjane zibhabhela phezulu. Oku kubonisa ukuba imozulu iza kuhlala inelanga okwethutyana. Xa izinambuzane zibhabhela phantsi, iinkonjane zibhabhela phantsi nazo. Ngaphambili, kwakubaluleke kakhulu ukuba amafama akwazi ukuqikelela imozulu yosuku olulandelayo ekubalekeni kweenkonjane.
Iinkonjane zibonwa lula ziindlwane zazo. Ngexesha lokwakhiwa kwendlwane, ulwelo oluncangathi luxuba namathe abo. Asebenzisa ngawo ukuncamathelisa isanti, udongwe okanye ezinye izinto ukuze akhe iindlwane zawo. Bazincamathelisa apho iikati okanye ezinye iintshaba zingenako ukufikelela kuzo: kwimiqadi, phantsi kweeveranda, nakwiindawo ezifanayo.
Iintlobo zegwinya zohluka njani?
I-House martins ekuqaleni yayifuywa ematyeni. Nangona kunjalo, baye baqhelana nabantu kwaye ngoku bayathanda ukuhlala kufuphi nabo. Kuba ngamanye amaxesha bakha iindlwana zabo ecaleni kweecawe, bakwabizwa ngokuba yi “Cherry Swallows”. Zikwathanda nokuzala phezulu ezintabeni, ukuya kutsho kuma-2,600 eemitha ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle. Zithanda ukwakha iindlwane zazo kumathanga, oko kukuthi kufutshane nezinye iindlwane. Inokuba yisihlanu ukuya kwiwaka. Imazi ibeka amaqanda amathathu ukuya kwamahlanu kabini ngonyaka.
Iinkonjane zasebarn zikwabizwa ngokuba ziinkonjane zasendlwini okanye iinkonjane ezifolokwe ngenxa yomsila wazo. Bathanda ngakumbi imbonakalo-mhlaba ejikeleze iifama, apho kukho amadlelo kunye namachibi. Kulapho bafumana ukutya okuninzi. Zikhetha ukwakha iindlwane zazo kwizitali kunye nasezisheleni. Ngaphambi kokuba zibe neetshimini, zazingena ezindlwini ngeembombo eziphezu kophahla. Ngenxa yokuba ezi zivulo zenzelwe umsi ovela ekhitshini, zibizwa ngokuba yi "barn swallows". Inkonjane yaseshedini ibeka amaqanda amane ukuya kwamahlanu kabini ukuya kwamathathu ehlotyeni. EJamani, i-barn swallows isengozini.
IiSand Martins zezona zinkonya zincinci. Njengeendlwana, zemba imingxuma elunxwemeni lomlambo okanye kunxweme lolwandle, maxa wambi kwimingxuma yodongwe okanye yegrabile. Le mingxunya bayigquma ngeendiza neentsiba. Imazi ibeka amaqanda kube kanye okanye kabini ngonyaka, amahlanu ukuya kumathandathu ngexesha. EJamani, iimartin zesanti zikhuselwe ngokungqongqo. E-Switzerland, zifumaneka kuphela eMittelland, kuba aziziva zikhululekile xa ziphezulu.
I-rock martins ihlala ngakumbi emazantsi. ESwitzerland, zifumaneka kwiJura nakwiintlambo zeAlpine. Ekuqaleni, zazikhetha ukwakha iindlwane zazo ematyeni, kwimiwonyo okanye kwiibhulorho. Kutshanje nabo bebesakha izindlu, ingakumbi phantsi kophahla. Zizala kanye, okanye kabini ngonyaka olungileyo. Imazi ibeka amaqanda amabini ukuya kwamahlanu ngexesha ngalinye.
I-Swallows enentamo ebomvu ikholisa ukuhlala emazantsi, nasehlotyeni. Kumazwe ethu, oko kukuthi kumantla eAlps, bezikhona kuphela ukusukela malunga no-1950. Zikwabizwa ngokuba “ziindwendwe ezigwenxa” kuba abantu bacinga ukuba bathe bahlala apha. Badla ngokuxubana neqela leenkonjane zaseshedini kuhambo. Zixhoma iindlwana zazo eluphahleni.