The Barn Swallows- Round #2

Last week we noticed that our Barn Swallows had quit sitting on their nest and had begun flying back and forth, making food deliveries. We watched and listened but couldn't hear anything. Tonight, however, it became very clear that that every time the parents arrived at the nest a soft "cheep, cheep, cheep" could be heard and little bits of fluff seemed to be poking over the edge of the nest. With the zoom lens on my camera I was able to capture two little beaks open, begging for food. We think there might be three total in this nest, which would match the total from the first flush. Either way, Mom & Dad Barn Swallow have some busy weeks ahead as they fly from dawn to dusk catching insects for their young.



The Swallows

It has been a very busy week here with our Swallow families. This year, the Violet-Green Swallows took up residency in five of our birdhouses. During the first weekend of July, all five house had hungry babies and the parents were feeding them from Sunrise to Sunset every night. But within the last week, three sets of babies have left the nests. The house pictured above is our newest house that we just added this Spring. It is still full of hungry babies, including this one looking out for the returning parents.

This swallow house, hung on the front side of our house, is the other still with occupants.

This was the first house we put up many years ago. It was very busy this Spring but now stands empty.

This house still had chicks early yesterday morning. I was going to take a picture of the two fat chicks who kept looking out the door hole, but didn't have my camera in hand. When I came back to look later Sunday, the house was empty!

And this is the other recently deserted house. The Violet-Green Swallow are still around, but are most noticeable early in the morning and in the evenings as they swarm the skies around our house for bugs.

And our Barn Swallow babies, who flew for the first time on Monday, July 4th, are now mostly gone from the nest for good. The parents however have been seen doing a little touch-up work on this nest. We think they are doing some minor repair work in preparation for the female laying a second set of eggs.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July! We had a total of 20 at our family barbeque. I don't know if I remember the weather being more perfect on a 4th of July in Oregon than it was today. It was in the mid 80's, with a pleasant cool breeze and no yellow jackets could be found! And our barn swallow babies picked this most patriot day to leave the nest. They didn't go far! They spent most of the day sitting on the gutters on the front of the house. They were still begging for food and getting fed by their parents. I expect they will be right back in the nest tonight and repeat the leaving/returning for the next week or two.

Look Who's back today...Finally!

After much waiting and wondering, our Barn Swallows returned today! The Violet-Green Swallows have been back for weeks now, but we hadn't seen a single Barn Swallow. Finally today, a pair returned. They have been busy looking at last years nest and re-visiting favorite roosting spots. I wonder if this is last year's parents, or some of last year's babies, now grown and returned. Either way, it is wonderful to have them back. Now all we are missing are the Grosbeaks.