Hey, Answer Girl -

Years ago, there were hundreds of barn swallows living under the Platte River Bridge on Poplar Street. Now they're gone. Did WYDOT, the county or the city get rid of them somehow? Why were they chased away? The birds were fun to watch flitting about in between traffic.

- Bird Watcher

The swallows - more likely cliff swallows than barn swallows - have flown west, according to Larry Keffer of the Casper Audubon Society.

He doesn't think anyone purposefully chased them away, because the Audubon group "would probably be heavily involved in something like that," he said.

But work near the bridge to improve the Platte River Parkway and the old Amoco property could have contributed to the birds' decision to relocate, he added.

It's not too unusual for cliff swallows to move once in a while. In this instance, you can visit the swooping birds at their new home, just a few miles up the road in Mills, where they're living near the bridge on Wyoming Boulevard.

In case you wondered, swallows swoop in and out of traffic because they feed on insects, which are often found flying near stoplights.

Hey, Answer Girl -

I didn't notice any 100 degree days this summer. Were there any? Have we ever had a summer before without a 100 degree day?

- Weather Watcher

According to Dan Berc, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, Casper came close, but never actually hit 100 degrees this summer.

On July 27 and Aug. 1, we hovered at 99 degrees, never quite making it the extra degree. And the temp went into the 90s a lot.

However, Berc said, it's not unusual for Casper to stay under 100 for the entire summer. We've had plenty of summers in the past without a 100 degree day.

Statewide, there were a couple of 100 degree days, Berc said. The Big Horn Basin is the place to be for extra-hot weather, apparently.

In case you missed it…

I've received a bunch of repeat questions about the signs with weird "L"s and symbols along the highway in Fremont County, so apparently some interested readers missed that question when it first ran.

Those signs are meant for Wyoming Department of Transportation employees. The signs are used to tell striping crews in certain WYDOT districts what kind of stripes to paint on any given part of the road. The different symbols indicate passing lane changes, where the lines will go from solid to broken or vice versa.

Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0616 or megan.lee@trib.com

Ask Answer Girl

Answer Girl tackles questions about Casper, the universe and everything else. Submit your questions by email to megan.lee@trib.com, or call Megan Lee at 266-0616. You can also write to Answer Girl, Box 80, 170 Star Lane, Casper, WY, 82602.