The baby swallows jumped out of their nest yesterday.
They are zipping around in and out of the stable doors, trying to figure out these new-fangled wings. The flight portion seems to be coming on quite well, but the landing technique is still a bit shaky.
Mom and Dad Swallow are having fits flying circles around the children, trying their best to dispense advice, and flight tips, all the while stuffing the occasional mosquito into a hungry little mouth.
They finally came to rest on this wire near the barn roof. There is something truly magical about a nest of barn swallows. It begins with a pair, noisily selecting a site for their nest, zipping about in the barn and testing every option. That is followed by a quiet stretch, with Mom sitting on the eggs. She never says much then, trying not to draw attention. Once the chicks hatch, however, it's all noise and commotion and the pitter patter of little beaks. The cheerful busy twittering (the best kind of twittering, too), the hectic rush of the parents back and forth to the nest, and finally this, truly magic moment, when the kids hop out of the nest and fly.
Barn swallows have been struggling of late, as new construction produces barns that close up tight and leave little room for their nests. That's a shame. We think every barn should have a few nests of these cheerful beautiful birds. One swallow may not make a spring, but a summer without swallows would be sad indeed.
