Fascinating barn swallows at my house
Last spring, I blogged about a pair of barn swallows that nested outside my front door. Apparently, barn swallows are quite happy living at my farm because many more nests have appeared this season. These birds prefer living in small colonies, building nests in close proximity to one another. They work together in protecting those nests from predators and they also work in unison hunting for insects.
I'm fascinated by their nests, which are constructed from mud pellets and grass, carried bit by bit in their bills. This year, I chose to document one of the nests built in my carport. I watched for several days while the structure was painstakingly pieced together. I waited anxiously while the parents lovingly incubated the eggs. And I was delighted when I finally heard chirping. Mother and father were kept busy for several days feeding their hatchlings and today, all that remains is an empty nest.
Photos By Martha Stewart and Eliad Laskin
Hi Martha, Do you suppose that these are the same pair of barn swallows that built their nest on your porch last spring? They sure look like they could be. What a busy, efficient pair of birds! This nest looked bigger than the other one and that's a good thing since they had 6 babies this time. They are so precious! We had a nest of black hooded chickadees under the eave on the front patio this spring. Like your barn swallows, it was so much fun to watch them grow up and leave the nest. Birds are so fascinating and so beautiful. My favorites are still the bald eagles that fly over my house quite often. Thanks again for sharing. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | June 22nd, 2009 at 1:41 am
AMAZING photos. I particularly liked the one where the babies all have their beaks open.
This year I have had a family of Starlings, two sets of House Sparrows and what I hope is a returning pair of House Martins. I'm not sure if they always return to their previous nesting spot but I like to think it is the same ones.
Posted by: Tanya | June 22nd, 2009 at 3:09 am
Fantastic pictures, you made my day before it even started.
I received some excellent binoculars from my kids for my birthday this year. The bonus-gift was the Eastern Bluebird I got to see the following week!
I loved the photo of the siblings lined up waiting for their dinner. Awesome.
Thank you!
Posted by: Amy Lomasney | June 22nd, 2009 at 5:54 am
These pictures remind me of the falcons documented atop the Kodack building in Rochester, NY.
First became aware of them when my gr-grandson's 5th grade used the documentation as a school project. Soo facinating!
Posted by: Virginia Weydig | June 22nd, 2009 at 7:09 am
MARTHA---Your pictures are just beautiful! These Barn Swallows' colors just seem to go with your paint palate...why try to improve on nature? It cannot be done!
All The Best, Jonathan Brown
Posted by: Jonathan Brown | June 22nd, 2009 at 8:45 am
I asbsolutely love the picture of all the baby birds with their mouths open. Priceless
Posted by: Sarah | June 22nd, 2009 at 9:23 am
Hi Martha!
As everyone is saying...'Your pictures are excellent!' But I'm not surprised, we've been looking at what your 'eye' sees for many years now.
But there's something about birds, isn't there?
To look at those hungry babies, mouth to mouth, lined-up as if they were on a factory belt! But it's so pleasant to see them - although nesting in a carport - go about their 'natural', daily living.
My carport has been the home of some nesting birds, too. However, I made the unfortunate mistake of removing a folded lawn chair stuck up in the rafters, where Mama Wren loved to build nests. She resorted to an old grow pot filled with cotton batting I had stuck in there after it fell out of an old blanket that I had been using to cover plants during the freezes. I had also left some dead dill blooms atop the batting after I had removed the seeds. I've got to say, the whole arrangement, grow pot included, must have looked very inviting to Mama Wren so she build another nest in this new and different neighborhood...but still on the carport.
I watched her sitting on her eggs for quite some time. I was so pleased that 'we' were having babies! I was feeling a little bit like a Midwife!
Well, it's so nice to read your success story with the barn swallows because after all Mama Wren's hard work, and just before hatching time, suddenly 'she' was nowhere to be found and all of the eggs were gone except for one, and *that* one looked a little deformed.
I'm thinking that because her nest was too low to the ground (it was actually on the potting table) that a stray cat or other predator may have taken her family 'elsewhere'. I derived at this sad conclusion because I never 'saw' any babies and never heard the first chirp.
Do you think that possibly the eggs hatched and they flew away immediately? Are wrens especially gifted when it comes to learning to fly? I know, I'm dreaming, I just didn't want Mama to 'not make it', *and* her babies.
Damn! Should have *never* moved that lawn chair!
We'll try again.
Posted by: tinay | June 22nd, 2009 at 9:44 am
Thank you for these photos Martha---they remind me of the swallows that used to nest in the eaves at my grandmother's house!
On a totally separate note, I'm having a giveaway on my blog that your readers will love--a gorgeous pair of Chie Mihara sandals. Here's the link! http://tinyurl.com/l6649c
Posted by: Anne @ The City Sage | June 22nd, 2009 at 9:53 am
Bird's nests are definitely a work of art. Great pictures. I love to watch them in my yard. They get all excited when I put fresh water in the bird bath. Trish
Posted by: Trish | June 22nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
Truly Amazing Photos
Posted by: Linda Strasberg | June 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 am
Amazing...http://bit.ly/IQlHD
Posted by: Linda Strasberg | June 22nd, 2009 at 10:48 am
Brilliantly beautiful, Martha!
Posted by: jena | June 22nd, 2009 at 10:49 am
Fantastic photos...thanks for a compelling bird story. Barn swallows are quite beautiful, too.
Posted by: Sue Fawcett | June 22nd, 2009 at 10:52 am
Love your pictures, I live in Chile from time to time and there are so swallows around our house, I had always wished that I could see them in action.
Thank you for your wonderful pictures.
Jeanette
Posted by: Jeanette Baumgartner | June 22nd, 2009 at 10:53 am
Hi Martha,
We used to live in the mountains of northern New Mexico. The barn swallows were in great abundance there. It was a sight every spring to see them completely cover the underside of the drive through at the bank in town. We now live in Merída Yucatan and have them here also. I love the sounds they make when nesting.
Posted by: Peter | June 22nd, 2009 at 10:58 am
Oh my goodness , the pic of them with their beaks open is hilarious!! Great shots!
Natalie :0)
Posted by: Natalie | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 am
This is the second year running and the third nest in that we've had built in one of our hanging baskets on our front porch. I love watching one parent take watch while the other slips into the flower basket to feed the chirping babies. Such a delicate dance.
It's definitely a lovely thing to have a bird's nest built on your property and to get to watch the cycle of life unfold before you.
Posted by: Kate (Birdcage Cards) | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:02 am
Great pics, Martha! We always let swallows nest at the end of our front porch every year on my husband's grandpa's antique sausage scale. Messy, but we love them! We enjoy their swooping and chatter.
Posted by: Becky Federico | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:03 am
hi martha,
it was fascinating to read of your experience with barn swallows. you see, i'm only twelve years old but i love to read your blogs.
they capture me in a way i can't stop reading.
the way you use adjectives it's just beautiful. thank you for taking the time to tell us of your wonderous life. if you can find the time, email me at caitlinnblair@rocketmail.com
- caitlin from virginia.
Posted by: caitlin | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:05 am
We, too, have many nests this year - both barn and tree swallows have arrived. I believe they return to the same nest each year - we have one couple who has been with us for five years now. It is great fun to see the babies fly the nest and begin to swoop after the insects in the yard.
Posted by: Nancy in Bucks County | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:11 am
These are so wonderful. I love watching birds do their thing. The robins we have, build mud type nests as well, once they built a nest in a fake fig tree I had on the porch, with babies born and all.
Posted by: jacquie | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:17 am
Hi Martha,
yes...
this reminds me of time long past by when I was growing up on a farm in Poland. As a child I was fascinated by Barn Swallows...seemed to me the same pair was returning year after year to their "estate"..
Thank you for the photo.
Posted by: Joanna | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:21 am
Thanks for posting these. We saw so many of them on Orcas Island in Washington this past week and could not identify them. They are lovely in flight.
Posted by: jai carney | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 am
Humbling!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | June 22nd, 2009 at 11:50 am
Hi Martha,
I also have barn swallows which have returned again this year. They are lovely birds, especially when the sun hits their backs as they fly away,a deep blue to violet.
Posted by: Tammy | June 22nd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Awesome photos of very happy and well-cared for Barn Swallows! Smart birds, too--they choose your place. I've cared for Barn Swallows before when I volunteered at a wildlife rehab facility. They have to be fed by hand when they can't fly--and they are smart and patient while one gets the mealworm just right. Thanks for sharing those and for the memories!
Posted by: Shari Collins | June 22nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
We have these too. They are so fun to watch in all their activities including swooping and catching the insects. We sit on our deck to observe them easily.
http://potsnpies.blogspot.com
Posted by: Clayvessel | June 22nd, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I teach horseback riding for the handicapped and we have literally hundreds of Barn Swallows in our barn (and one or two pairs of Violet-Green Swallows!). The children look forward to their return every spring, when I tell them about their long migration, and they enjoy counting the nests and babies as they ride. Every year a few babies fall out, which we return to the nests. We leave the nests up, and the same pairs will often reuse the nests each year, although they always do some remodeling!
Posted by: Andi S. | June 22nd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
What industrious and hard-working little birds!...this species is a-l-w-a-y-s welcome in the garden - they're not a nuisance at all! I love their purplish hue with tawny accents, and of course, that notable forked tail. I usually see them at dusk, swooping for insects while 'chatting' away, making their little tongues produce a clicking-like sound. Those little hungry mouths sure did look like they were singing in the choir, didn't they?! The photos were excellent, Martha - a nice chronicle of the whole nesting process!
I have been enjoying new-born (house) wren tweets that began high-pitched, deepening then, with maturity. Just as I estimated, they fledged this weekend, as yesterday, the birdhouse was empty of any activity. Jenny still sings happily up on a tree branch and on a neighboring picket on the fence where her home is mounted. Oh, something so simple brings me much joy! Hopefully, another brood will follow! My backyard isn't large at all, but A LOT of activity is going on, nature-wise - one just needs to be tuned in and be aware, and man, does it ever feed my thirsty soul.
This is corny, but the ONE thing that I love in myself (and being my worst critic, there's not much, I assure you!) is my love for nature. I believe it is God-given...my senses are so tuned in, that I see and hear what others don't. On Twitter, my name is 'catwhisperer17' [for any who wonder, '17' is my date-of-birth {plain old 'catwhisperer' was already taken}]...in all reality, it could've been birdwhisperer, or bunny or squirrelwhisperer...gee whiz, it could've even been beewhisperer... All of these things the Lord created for a purpose, living harmoniously in His grande scheme of things.
I never want to come inside after a day in my backyard!
=^..^=
"Mental sunshine makes the mind grow, and perpetual happiness makes human nature a flower garden in bloom."--Christian D Larson
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | June 22nd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Nice to meet you!
I live in Japanese Tokyo.
I aim at the variety talent now.
I watch a program of Martha Stewart in FOXJapan.
The English is sorry if I use the wrong words because I am not so proud.
Does Martha like the Japanese-style dish?
I make it program pleasure from now on.
Posted by: NOBUE MORIMOTO | June 22nd, 2009 at 9:25 pm
What an interesting post! Thanks for sharing and I say there swallows have impectable taste in selecting their living quarters!
Posted by: Amy | June 22nd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
WOW amazing pictures!
Soo fascinating!
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | June 23rd, 2009 at 3:52 am
Oooh, barn swallows! It's been a while...
One of my favorite memories of my childhood in Sullivan County, NY was that of the barn swallows swooping in and out of the barn rafters while I took care of the animals, taking care of their babies in the big mud nests!
It was delightful to come across this article. They have always fascinated me with their speed and agility. I love how they are almost arrow-shaped
I can always count on you, Martha, to show us the things that we tend to take for granted. Thanks for bringing back some very happy childhood memories and helping me remember the wonder of these beautiful birds.
Posted by: Vicki Lynn Bower of RaVena Relics | June 23rd, 2009 at 9:10 am
Delightful! I thoroughly enjoy birds and wish I would take the time to learn more about them... Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Amber | June 23rd, 2009 at 9:46 am
Those chicks are so cute and fat! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Kristine | June 23rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Hi Martha,
Beautiful pitcures!
I feed little sparrows in my patio. They just love rice, weather it is cooked or raw. They are just amazing creatures.
Posted by: Neha | June 24th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Living in So. Calif. where the swallows return year after year, often they go abit astray and make their nests off the beaten path from the San Juan Mission. Gleefully, after the swallows leave when their offspring have flown, the wrens and buntings take over their nests ~ it almost becomes a year round nest! Messy, but fun to watch so many little ones grow
Posted by: Diane Cousin | June 26th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Hi Martha,
I love the pictures of the barn swallows. I think that the one with the 5 baby birds with their mouths open would make a great Christmas card - a take-off on the 12 Days of Christmas. "5 birds a singing" instead of 4 calling birds.
Posted by: Joyce Benson | July 19th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Outside my kitchen window I have a clothespin box where I put bird seed a couple of times a day. A few weeks ago I saw a male cardinal feeding a baby cardinal- actually putting seed into the baby's mouth. The next day I saw the female cardinal doing the same thing. Because I'm 75 I had trouble putting seed into a beautiful feeder I have. I would have to stand on something to put the seed in and then the squirrels would come and devour the seeds. My clothespin box works great and I can get about 6 inches away from any bird who lands there. The funniest thing was when the woodpecker was pecking on my plastic clothespin box.
Posted by: Kay Cocozza | October 9th, 2009 at 12:53 pm