Day 269: The Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were late to arrive this season by at least two weeks. I kept watching for them to appear at their favorite nesting box, a location which has never gone unrented since I first put it up about fifteen years ago. Every brood raised in the box has been successful; not so in other identical boxes hung on the exterior of my garage. Waiting...it seemed like forever before I saw the first swallow on the wing, and even then, I didn't see them approach the house.
About two weeks ago as I was standing at the kitchen sink, I caught movement in the tail of my eye. The house is under the eave of the garage and somewhat shadowed, so I watched quite carefully until a head appeared in the opening. At first, I thought it was a nestling, but after a few minutes, the bird emerged and flew off, returning a little later with something in its beak. The next time the parent left, I went out and stood under the nesting box, listening for the familiar sound of little chirps. Nothing. Was the food brought by one parent to feed the other? Very possibly, because Tree Swallows share nesting duties, taking turns feeding one another and the young.
As of this writing, I still haven't seen or heard any "little gilligans" (my nickname for the babies), but the parents are removing large fecal sacs from the nest, and they're delivering plump, juicy insects on a regular basis. Something is going on inside the house, and I'm sure it won't be long before I see little faces at the door.
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