Day 213: The Swallows arrived late this year and now nesting activity is to be seen everywhere, and since I removed the screen, the best view is from my kitchen window. Both houses on the north side of the garage are occupied. Despite the species' normal preference for more space between nesting sites, the availability of afternoon shade makes this a desirable location. Here the female will lay 4-6 eggs, incubating them for 13-16 days. The young will be tended by both parents until they fledge at approximately three weeks of age. The parents will continue to feed the young on the wing until they're able to fend for themselves.
Some field guides list this species as Iridoprocne bicolor. I have chosen to refer to it based on David Allen Sibley's "Field Guide to Birds of Western North America," arguably one of the most comprehensive guidebooks since Roger Tory Peterson's "A Field Guide to Western Birds."
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