Born to fly: Violet Green Swallows

I put up more bird nesting boxes early this spring in hopes of attracting swallows. There were some beautifully made commercial boxes and a couple that I cobbled together from “found” materials. Both Tree Swallows and Violet Green Swallows thoroughly investigated the boxes but only one pair of Violet Green Swallows nested. And of course, they chose one of my “franken-boxes”.

I was very lucky to see the first young swallow fledge two days ago. It returned to the nest later that day to perch near its two “nest-bound” siblings.  The parents did not always  jam food into the mouths of the young in the box as they had been doing to that point. Sometimes they hovered just out of reach with the food – enticing the young from the nest. All the young eventually flew off chasing their parents.  Even the smallest young left a day later than the others. They have all been returning to land on the roof and fly around the house – calling and chasing each other.

I envy them as I watch them swoop and dive so skillfully. They are truly beautiful and amazing birds. I wish them all well as they take on the great wide world.

I will be looking for them next spring.  Maybe they will use one of my boxes again.

Two young peeking out

More!

The female feeding the young

The fledgling and one of the two still in the nest.

The first fledgling back home

The last one in the nest.  It waited until the next morning to fledge.

all writing and photos copyright Joanne Siderius 2013.