We have hatched seventeen baby Barn Swallows this summer. That's right....seventeen! With only one casualty. With a nest in the back yard and a nest on the front porch and two sets of parents occupying each this summer, we turned out to be a baby bird factory.
It was fun to watch the process. From the first little mud ball on the windowsill, to all the babies venturing off on their own. My favorite memory was unloading the car late one night and getting caught off guard when I noticed one of the baby birds sitting on the giant sunflower next to me, sleeping. It was also exciting when one baby ventured out and landed right in the kiddie pool, surprising all the kids.
But it wasn't so fun to get dive-bombed every time we wanted to check the mail, or have visitors at the door. Plus all the bird poop everywhere! - porch swing, backyard pool, porch lights, windows and a humongous mound under the nest. Bleh!
I'm happy to report that today I reclaimed the front porch. Lots of sweeping and a good power wash. But, turns out I'll need a shovel for the mound on the ground.
1 comment:
Wowee! That's pretty sweet!! We were thrilled with our little Robins' nest this spring, and I must say, they were quite the tidy group - and I'll tell you how:
I witnessed the mama with the growing babes in nest, baby stands up to poo, Mama reaches back BEFORE it hits the nest, nabs it in her beak, then instantly flies off into the grass, spits it out, and flies back home!
Woah. And I thought diapers were a pain. ;)
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