Post by kastern on Aug 17, 2006 14:58:43 GMT -8
There has been a lot of discussion lately about late babies - ie. the Purple Martins, ducklings and Pied billed Grebe. I'll add Barn Swallows to the list. Right now I know of four occupied Barn Swallow nests. We have an abundance of Barn Swallows in the area, in fact, at the moment, I would say they were the most prevalant species. This morning there were 3 or 4 dozen flying around in the area.
I have a nest in my front porch. We erected a small shelf up in the corner this spring as they often try to build a nest on the tiny little lip over the front door. It wasn't until July that a pair settled down and built a pitiful nest on the shelf. There were 3 eggs but only 1 fledgling has survived and he/she looks just about ready to take flight. This morning I was being dive bombed by a male who then flew directly across the street to my neighbours and landed on the shelf he had erected where there is another occupied nest. The pair at that nest had already raised a family that fledged out in late July, then immediately they laid another clutch. When I looked today I could see at least 2 very young fledgling in the nest.
There are two other nests on houses further down, closer to the water, that are obviously occupied with fledgling but I don't know at what stage.
We have been wondering what they are feeding on. We had mosquitoes earlier, although not nearly as many as some years and now there are virtually none. There are lots of dragon flies out on the grasslands but I don't know if Barn Swallows would be eating dragon flies. They are seen most often swooping down low over the water and the gravel bars that are emerging.
I have a nest in my front porch. We erected a small shelf up in the corner this spring as they often try to build a nest on the tiny little lip over the front door. It wasn't until July that a pair settled down and built a pitiful nest on the shelf. There were 3 eggs but only 1 fledgling has survived and he/she looks just about ready to take flight. This morning I was being dive bombed by a male who then flew directly across the street to my neighbours and landed on the shelf he had erected where there is another occupied nest. The pair at that nest had already raised a family that fledged out in late July, then immediately they laid another clutch. When I looked today I could see at least 2 very young fledgling in the nest.
There are two other nests on houses further down, closer to the water, that are obviously occupied with fledgling but I don't know at what stage.
We have been wondering what they are feeding on. We had mosquitoes earlier, although not nearly as many as some years and now there are virtually none. There are lots of dragon flies out on the grasslands but I don't know if Barn Swallows would be eating dragon flies. They are seen most often swooping down low over the water and the gravel bars that are emerging.
