SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : The Tourists Outnumber the Swallows

The hundreds of tourists who showed up early Friday morning at Mission San Juan Capistrano on Swallows Day got to see a 97-year-old Juaneno Indian bell ringer, ancient Indian art demonstrations, several news crews and even a few camera-shy swallows.

In contrast to the legends of swallows darkening the skies above the mission every March 19, only a handful of the tiny, migratory birds made an appearance Friday morning.

A few out-of-state visitors were disappointed, the news media got their perennial swallows story and many were impressed by the charm and tradition of the event.

In other words, nothing much has changed in the 60-year history of Swallows Day.

“I come here almost every year on Swallows Day to visit the mission and hear the bells ring” to welcome home the swallows, said Lily Bergstrom of Los Angeles. “This is such a beautiful and unique mission, I don’t really care if I see any swallows.”

Shortly after 8 a.m., Paul Arbiso, who for more than 60 years has rung the bells on Swallows Day--also known as St. Joseph’s Day--starting a day that celebrates the rich heritage of San Juan Capistrano as much as the swallows.

The mission, established in 1776, employed many members of the local Juaneno tribe. Their descendants on Friday demonstrated crafts such as basketry and weaving and performed tribal dances. Traditional foods such as pan-fried bread were sold to hungry tourists.

It was also a day for local schoolchildren. Many San Juan Capistrano students grow up participating in activities at the mission. As is done every year, a procession of children was led onto the mission by the town matriarch and patriarch--Evelyn Villegas-Lobo and Arbiso--and other local American Indians.

The students sang, danced and performed numbers in celebration of Swallows Day for an estimated 5,000 visitors, said mission officials.

This year saw the dedication of the Leon Rene Music Room at the mission. Rene composed and sang “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.” The original piano where he wrote the tune is now on display. His son, Raphael Rene, performed his father’s hit song during the day’s activities.

Other small changes were made in time for this year’s Swallows Day festivities.

In an effort to lure more swallows to the mission grounds, groundskeepers dug small mud pits dubbed “swallow wallows.”

“The swallows use mud to build their nests and the creeks that used to run by here have dried up somewhat,” said Ed Akins, a mission docent who helped lead tours on Friday. “Between the wallows and some of the rain we’ve had this year, I think we saw more swallows here than ever before.”

Which is good, because San Juan Capistrano owes a lot to the swallow, said Akins.

“People come here from around the world, and when they get to the mission, they ask two questions,” he said. “The first is, ‘Where’s the bathroom?’ The second question is, ‘Where are the swallows?’

“Those little birds are responsible for every penny going into cash registers in this town today. I hope people appreciate that.”