Waiting for lunch
For the past couple of weeks, my yard has been filled with constant twittering. The barn swallows have fledged.
Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are expert flyers and insect catchers, but they’re not born with those skills. It takes practice to swoop and dip and dive, and the young are doing their practicing over our lawn.
Barn swallows have forked tails.
At first, the fledglings would sit on a wire and wait for a parent to return and stuff their little gullets with insects. Now they’re hunting on their own – albeit with parental guidance and support.
I love these birds for many reasons, including their capacity for devouring large numbers of mosquitoes. It looks like they’ve had a banner nesting season, too. Good for them, and good for us, because we benefit from free pest control! For more information on barn swallows, go here.
Lunch! I always feel sorry for the one not getting fed.
Digging RI 
How beautiful! It’s always so wonderful to see the babies. I love seeing their little flapping wings calling, “feed me! feed me!”
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I know what you mean, CJ. There are so many things going on in the garden this time of year, beyond insects and plants. All you have to do is notice.
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Oh, how sweet. I love when the baby birds emerge.
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I do too, especially when they hang out where I can watch them – and take pictures!
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My yard too is full of baby birds and animals of every description! I’m thinking of going back to the Old Days when I jokingly referred to my property as Fertility Farm 🙂
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So take lots of pictures and tell us all about them, please!
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