We have a barn swallow nest on one of the porches. We’ve been watching as the parents tried repeatedly to make a nest but it wouldn’t stick, then after a couple of weeks it finally worked. We’ve made some hilariously cute hand-drawn signs to remind the children to be quiet and let mama bird rest, but of course they only work 40% of the time. The remaining 60%, they are shouting, bouncing balls or – like last Friday – getting it with a water squirter. Dang it!!
Today we (really, ‘I’) noticed different activity: sitting on the edge of the nest and poking inside. Hatching!! I found half an eggshell on the ground and we all marveled at how tiny it was. I kept telling the children that I wish I had a camera up there, but that would scare the parents.
So, I waited until everyone went home.
Oh, yeah. I made those bird parents MAD. I got a photo and about two seconds of video when they came back and SCREECHED AND FLEW all around. I booked it right inside and worried that they wouldn’t come back, so I went out and got the ladder, too. A while later and they were back. Hopefully their little bird brains will forget the monster that was too close to their babies.
Well, ‘baby’ so far.