Stay-At-Home Mom

Day 206: Mrs. Tree Swallow is a stay-at-home mom. After she has laid her clutch of eggs, she leaves the nest rarely to feed, her mate bringing the bulk of her food to her door. When the babies hatch, they are fed by both parents, although mainly by the female. I am happy to report that both of my nesting boxes are occupied again this year, and there is a constant flurry of activity around the houses as other potential renters check on availability. I wish I had more space, because although Tachycineta bicolor is more forgiving in its territorial boundaries than some other species of Swallow, they will not tolerate the paper-wasps which also like to build under the eaves. The nesting boxes are on the shady side of the garage where I can watch them from my kitchen window; all other locations where I might put additional housing are either too hot and sunny or are favoured by the infernal wasps. That said, even providing only two nesting boxes has kept birds from building in the peak of my carport, thereby saving me multiple car-washes each season.

Moving-In Day

Day 161: Prime real estate moves fast! It's only been a week since Pussywillow Cottage and the House of Chirp became available, and already new tenants are moving in. This year's occupants are again Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), distinguished easily from Violet-Greens by the lack of white above the eye.

A few quick facts about Tree Swallows: the nest is built by the female, although both members of the pair bring nesting material to the box. During nest-building, the males can often be heard giving a liquid, gurgling call to announce their presence. The outer portion of the nest is comprised of dried grasses and moss; the interior is lined with soft feathers, preferably white, although in my personal experience, I've also seen stiff blue Steller's Jay and black Crow wing feathers used in the exterior construction. The clutch usually consists of 4-6 eggs (white), although rarely, two females may share a large box, taking shifts for incubation and brooding duties. Incubation is 13-16 days. The young hatchlings are fed by both parents. The "kids" are ready to take their first flight at 16-24 days from hatching and may be fed on the wing for a few days after fledging. This year's babies may be next year's renters, or their parents may return to the family home to raise a new brood.

Da Little Noses

Day 283: Two days ago, the first of da little noses peeked out of the Tree Swallows' nesting box on the side of the garage, giving me my first glimpse of this year's crop of "gilligans," as I nicknamed the babies years ago. I have no idea how many nestlings are in the House of Chirp because I can't tell them apart at this stage, but Colin Harrison's "A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds" says that Tachycineta bicolor's clutch may consist of four to six eggs. In the number of young born and raised in this house over the last ten or more years, I have never found evidence to indicate anything other than a survival rate of 100%. Nesting boxes in other locations on the garage have not been as successful.

This side of the garage faces roughly north and catches a little morning sun. It is protected from hot afternoon sun by a wall of tall evergreens. It is visible to me from the window over the kitchen sink, and at this time of year, I need no urging to wash dishes. Even with the window closed, I can hear the youngsters putting up a fuss when the parents are returning with tasty insects, and as soon as they get close, whoever is in the doorway opens wide. Sometimes, the bug is stuffed so far down the nestling's gullet that it looks like the parent's head will get wedged in the gape, but particularly large morsels are delivered into waiting beaks. I am always amazed at how much food these tiny little birds require.