Monday, June 17, 2013

Tree Swallows




The male and female look a lot alike except the female may be a little more greenish


We have been observing this pair of Tree Swallows since they arrived!! They are using the  birdhouse right beside our bedroom window !!  They didn't have too far to go to get their materials.  We watched them go back and forth to the chicken/duck houses gathering hay and feathers.  They also found time to play. They were dropping the feathers and re-catching them in flight!  The nest is complete now and courting begins!!

Mating Tree Swallows

 
We are going to have babies !!!!!!!!

Incubation: lasts 14 - 15 days.  It starts the day next to the last egg that is laid.  The female often sticks her head out of the hole and looks like a little orca.
(Like in this photo of her below)
She is so adorable.. I think she saw her reflection in my lens !! (click photos to enlarge <3)
I have learned that: adult Tree Swallows consume 2000 insects and feed 6000 insects to their young over a 45 day nesting period. That means that each nestbox family consumes more than 300,000 insects.  WOW!! That's a lot of flies and here in the back country,  I say ''welcome little feathered friends"

We expect the babies to hatch the week of the 24th.. Hopefully, we can capture some mealtime photos and share them with you!!


 Quote:::: It is almost as if they live to fly, rather than, as most birds, fly to live.
- Robert R. Cohen, Sialia, 1984

2 comments:

  1. I'm always so envious of your photos - what great shots - and thanks for the background comments

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  2. Thankyou very much Norvell for the wonderful comments!! I am glad that you like them!! The tree swallows are such a joy to have around and we love to watch the acrobats they perform over the pond as they catch the flies.. Mom and Dad have been very busy the last two weeks feeding the babies.. Still didn't get a count on how many but in the last 2 days, their little heads are curiously peeking out!!

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