Flight School now in Session

Our barn swallows are out of the nest today.

Yesterday the kids were sitting on the rafter, fluttering wings and twitching tails and trying to figure out how things are supposed to work.

Today they jumped off, and took to the air.  They have the straight forward 'thing' figured out... it's the landings and the steering that are a little bit unreliable.  They come screaming through the stable aisle, shouting at their top of their tiny voices as they try to navigate.  They are in short, totally adorable.

And there are not four, but FIVE of them.  Well done, Mr. and Mrs. Barn Swallow. That's a lot of hungry mouths to feed!

By this evening, they had managed to decipher the program to land on the gate. By tomorrow, they will be experts.

And then, in another week or so, they will leave the barn and we will miss their cheerful voices.

I wish them the very best, longest and happiest of swallow lives. Barn swallow populations are down by 65% since 2008. They are now listed as endangered. People build barns and outbuildings with no place for the swallows to nest. People spray pesticides and insecticides with horrible disregard for the species that rely on those insects as a food source. The world will be terribly sadder if we lose our swallows -- and there will then be that many more insects with no hungry swallows snapping them up in heart stoppingly lovely swooping flights.

be sure that you leave some places around your properties for these birds.  Keep a small source of mud available for them to use for nests.  Put away the insecticides. Please. It will lead to a much better World if we can keep these species.

Fast and Furious Flyers

 There is a particularly 'feisty' barn swallow nesting at the boathouse.  Now, that's great -- these birds have taken quite a hit in the past decade, and are now becoming scarce, so we are thrilled to have another nesting pair here.

Swallows, however, are what you might describe as territorial when it comes to their nesting spaces.  If anyone comes close - be that a dog, or a person, or anything that walks - the birds fire up and take to the air, becoming incredible dive-bombers. They will swoop down fast and furious, almost striking with their wings as they whizz past.  Duck... and move out of the way, to leave them safe and unthreatened, that's the best solution.  Although occasionally we do have to be out there on the dock, too...

Flight School

Our barn swallows hopped out of the nest and into the sky today!  All three of them have made to this point, and are looking lovely, although it is true that they are still working out how to get their feathers to stay in place.

And don't get in their way when they fly. Turning and altitude adjustment are still a bit wobbly.

Mom and Dad are hunting hard for them. Insects and caterpillars are the favoured menu items.