Learning from Barn Swallows...
We all know what a mess birds can make when they nest on your porch...but this year I decided to let the Barn Swallows 'go for it' so my grandsons could enjoy their show when they come to swim each day.....and believe me...they do put on a wonderful show!
The amount of work that goes into a mud cup nest is quite impressive...
The swallows bring tiny mouthfuls of mud and grass non-stop for a few days!
Upon completion...they BOTH sleep on the nest....how cute is that?
Each night I turn on the porch light and there they are :-)
When the babies first hatch...they don't seem to know when the adults are coming with food..
Not long after...it becomes a non-stop feeding marathon...
Look at the size of these gaping holes! Who could miss the mark???
I don't see the adults bringing insects...so I assume at this stage they are regurgitating the food...
and Mom & Dad stick their heads quite far into the baby's huge mouth!
Even the runt gets a turn!
Even the runt gets a turn!
My boys get a real kick out of watching the process...
Sometimes the babies look exhausted after a feeding session...
One afternoon as I stood watching...I observed a rather amazing happening...
This time when mom or dad came...the babies didn't open their mouths and there was some kind of communication going on from the adult....
and almost as if the middle child was given a command...it turned around in the nest...
and pretty much 'pooped on demand'! The adult snatched and left the nest...
Excellent potty training and good housekeeping skills!
Only then did the others open up their mouths and the middle one still has it's little butt up...
Poor little thing had a dickens of a time turning back around in the crowded nest ;-)
You just never know what you will see in nature, do you?
I know I was surprised!
Only then did the others open up their mouths and the middle one still has it's little butt up...
Poor little thing had a dickens of a time turning back around in the crowded nest ;-)
You just never know what you will see in nature, do you?
I know I was surprised!
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16 comments:
How sweet! The pictures with the outstretched wings are so beautiful. And how about that potty training. Have you ever seen anything like that before?
I grew up on a small farm, and I remember the barn swallows having a nest in our cow's stable area. I used to watch them flying in and out while I was watching my dad milk the cows. A good memory..
Oh Barb, What a neat experience for your grandson to see... I love it too. Forget the mess. It's worth it.. You got some wonderful pictures. Could you get close---or were you far away using a zoom lens?????
The bluebirds are also good to clean the poop out of the nest. We could learn from the birds, couldn't we????
Thanks SO much for this set of pictures. I LOVED it.
Hugs,
Betsy
Very interesting.Your grandsons will remember these events for years to come.Thanks for the great series of photos.
Blessings,Ruth
This is such an interesting post. Love the whole series, and I am sure it has been such a great learning experience for your grandson.
Wow, what an experience, and a great series of captures! Nice going.
How very amazing! We have barn swallows all around the river. They nest at the marina, which isn't very popular with the boat owners. Still, I've never had the opportunity to watch this process in action and I am SO impressed! Impressed with them, and with your decision to let them nest and observe/photograph the moments. Most excellent! Good parents, those birds - fascinating pooping process.
That was so amazing! We have barn swallows, in the barn of course and the barn is taller than most of our ladders so we cannot get that good of a look at ours. Thank you for recording what goes on!
How cool! What a neat bunch of nesters to have so close for lots of observing. All your pictures and narrating are great, BG. I thought there were only two birds in the nest until the third one suddenly popped up in another picture! Fun antics indeed...
Great photgraphs of these little cuties. Their little clown faces make them among the most adorable babies around.
What a fun post this was! Watching birds intereact with their young is always a treat! Your boys have to love it too. I would never have believed the part about the poop if you wouldn't have seen it. Who would have thought. I have never read anything like that anywhere. Glad they didn't make a big mess on the porch!
On down I see I missed the deer and fawn post. Geesh my life is just too busy! How cute! Holly and I went to the park and walked the other night and saw a doe and two fawns... no pictures as they immediately went into the bushes. Then we saw her again on down the trail...but again no pictures!
So beautiful and so neat! Love how one of the babies had the wing hanging out of the nest! Funny about the pooping thing! It's so amazing what you can learn from watching birds - so glad you shared this!!
Amazing little creatures, this must've been so interesting and rewarding to watch. Awesome pictures, thanks so much for sharing them, I love them all, especially the feeding ones :) I'm so happy I found your blog, I get excited everytime you make an entry, heehee!
Have a great weekend Barb :)
Oh, lucky you! I always feel so blessed to have a close view of the smallest, youngest creatures as they start life.
Until I saw your pictures I never saw barn swallows do this, but, robins do it too. I can't begin to tell you the number of times I have seen the parents do this potty thing.
Thank you very much for your past visits to my blog and for the comment you have left me. With your help and visit, we are making some history.
Pick a Peck of Pixels
Oh my goodness, this was such a fun post to read and watch!! Only you could take a poopy pic and make it fascinating and educational!! lol
You really did a great job of narrating this.. and capturing the photos for the eye to follow. I bet your grandson's love learning from you and the nature you photo shoot in your yard. I would!!
I just love those wide open bills, what a hoot..who knew they could open that wide!! Such a neat post, Barb! Loved it!!
Wow! I let them nest on my porch up north one of the last years before we left and it was fun to have them. I really don't know how they manage to get that nest up there, and the next year they just couldn't get it to stick. Great photos and memories Barb! Love it, well, maybe not the butt picture!! hahaha!
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