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| Barn Swallow |
Barn Swallows, which nest around here, used to nest in natural caves, rock crevices, even splintered trees. These things are mostly gone from developed environments now. By the middle of last century they were only seen nesting in human-made structures like bridges, highway overpasses and so on. Around Denton (where I live) I see often under an overpass on Loop 288 - their mud nests lined up fastidiously. They even nest under the eaves of certain houses.The mud (which requires water of course) is a sure sign that there's a body of water nearby.
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| Barn Swallow |
.............................................................................. Certainly Purple Martins (a type of Swallow) have a pleasant song. Adult males will fly into the sky around dawn for "dawnsinging". Aided by the unique acoustics of that time of day, the Purple Martin's song may cover at least 30 square miles.
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| Purple Martins |
I have the same pair of barn swallows returning to my covered patio for the last six years in Bedford, Texas. To my amusement, I have observed them raise two consecutive sets of baby birds starting in early Spring to mid-June. The swallows are great parents. 5-6 eggs hatch and both parents are engaged in feeding the babies and keeping watch over the nest.
ReplyDeleteThey appear to keep the inside and outer rim of their nests very clean, but I do not dare to look below the nest and roosting areas. My water hose receives regular use on my patio to keep my outdoor living area clean too.
Flying lessons are a family affair which also incorporates learing to find and capture insects. After 2-3 weeks, the parents bid farewell to their grown and independent offspring and encourage them to roost elsewhere so they can start to prepare their nest for the next set of offspring.