The Swallows Returned

Our little swallow couple returned again this year but it was a bit different because they brought another couple with them and we had two nests to watch this year.  The second nest was not as easy to photograph so i just stuck to the original nest. Not only did we have two nests but the original couple had two batches of babies back to back!

This is the original nest but you can see they made it much bigger this year - from the feather up there is new mud.There are 5 babies in this nest – check out the close up…And here is a couple of pics taken during feeding time. The feeding pictures were taken on 7/11 and on 7/22 all we had was this little guy who wasn’t ready to fly just yet out of the second nest.  He must have been hatched a couple days later than the rest.  In this picture you can see how much smaller the second nest is.

At this point, I thought we were done.  A couple weeks ago I go out to leave and a see a couple of little eggshells on the patio again….what?

We had more baby birds in that nest…  A few days later I see a little dead baby on the patio and now the nest is down to 2 babies.  I rarely saw the babies until 2 days ago when they were out on the ledge.  I am assuming that next was pretty roomy for two babies so no wonder I didn’t see them like when it was crowded with 5.

Here they are just hangin’ out waiting to be fed on 9/10 in the morning.

And the parents keep flying by…  And finally there is food…it looks like a big tasty barn fly! When I came home late in the afternoon on 9/10 there was just one little baby in the nest. It was just sitting there watching the parents go by and then I noticed the baby hanging out on the rod in my flowers.  It was in flight training and the one in the nest wasn’t ready yet. The less mature baby was still being fed.

And it looks like the parent is having a little pep talk with it… It must have worked because they were all out flying early this morning.

I think they are actually done nesting this time and will be flying off to warmer climate soon.  It is nice to have them here eating all the bugs throughout the summer but they sure do leave a mess behind.  Double or triple the birds makes for a real mess at the edge of the patio…

 I better get the hose out before it starts freezing solid up here at night…always something to do.