Aidan and Ciaran came running to fetch Nancy this week, leaving Colette on guard near their cottage. The boys had found a baby swallow on the ground, being pecked by a bluejay.
Now, while that might be Nature's way, we're always ready to intervene for baby birds, who may just need a few extra hours to collect their strength for that first flight. The bluejay won't go hungry, with the field of sunflowers ripening in the garden. And gracious knows the cats need no part of baby birds.
We fetched a small cardboard box, and put the little guy out of harm's way, close to the nest where Mom Swallow could find him.
Happy ending! By the following day he had flown safely away, and will be heading south with the rest of our swallows.
Well, the rest of our swallows except for the late crew in the stable, where Mom barn swallow opted to try for a second nesting. Those little hungry mouths are working hard to grow quickly, but they are not ready to fly yet, not by half, so they will not be going south when the rest of our swallows leave.
Traditionally, August 20 is the date for the birds to fly away on their journey to South America. Sometimes they've been here as late as August 24th, but we're watching this tiny family, with fingers crossed, because they won't be on time for that. This means they will be travelling on their own, and not in the safety of a large flock, so we wish them well.
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