Thursday, May 08, 2008

Tree Swallows - They're Back





They've been in the neighbour hood for a while now, but yesterday was the first I had seen them at our bird house. Its looks like this pair may have decided to move in. Tree Swallows are a part of our early summer days and they are a constant source of pleasure for us as we work about in our garden.

Tree Swallows babies fly from their birdhouse nest sometime around the first week in July; and its always exciting to watch the fledglings make that somewhat difficult decision of leaving home
for the first time.

8 comments:

Mary said...

Those are wonderful...such a beautiful little bird. I bet you are entertained for hours with them swooping over the yard. They are such fun to watch as they gather insects. Love the picture of the 2 peeking out of the hole!

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

They are beautiful. I love the picture with the two little faces peeking out. So sweet! They must be so much fun to watch.

Becky said...

I just love those swallows. It's so funny to watch them dive bomb my cat Azrael when she gets too close to their bird house. They will actually take her right to the ground.

me ann my camera said...

mary and sandpiper:
The 'two little faces peeking out' is a delight and we spend many hours watching them as the time approaches when they are ready to leave the birdhouse.

becky:
I like your cat's name :-) They seem to be used to us working in the garden very close to the birdhouse and don't weem to pay any attention to us.

bobbie said...

Delightful! The first and last photos are just sweet, and the second is a wonderful capture. We're lucky enough to have swallows nearby too, and enjoy them so much.

me ann my camera said...

bobbie:
These little birds give us much enjoyment during the early summer and they have become seasonal markers for us: when they return, then when they nest, and lastly when the babies leave their housenest. We have never had a summer when a pair did not nest there. Glad that you enjoyed.

Kingsdowner said...

Great shots of an endearing species.
Our House Martins rarely nest under the eaves, although they were a common sight a couple of decades ago, and I wonder if your design of nest box would be successful.
I hope you can post news on their breeding success later.

Powell River Books said...

I just discovered your blog on ABC Wednesdays. I love your nature photos. We have tree swallows nesting at our cabin on Powell Lake for the second year in a row. The first year we only had one birdhouse occupied. This year it looks like we may get three or four filled. - Margy