Bird Nests on the Porch

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I have been wanting to blog for awhile now. I have been struggling with my depression lately and today I feel pretty good, so I better do this now. This summer, as in the past several summers we have had what I think are Barn Swallows making a couple of nests on our north porch at the top of our posts. The only summer they did not come back was in 2013. We had a bad drought in 2012 and I thought the poor little babies would die. And maybe they did since they didn’t come back. I don’t know if the babies and the parents come back each year, or just the babies. I am not familiar with the migrations. Apparently someone comes back. And they build in the same spots. They were late in making their nests this year. Maybe because we had such a hard winter and then some thankfully good rains in the spring. But it was good to see them making their nests again. They aren’t too concerned while you sit out on the porch and watch them building the nests, or when the eggs are first laid. But when the eggs hatch you kind of have to be careful when you step out on the porch. Momma, Papa and I think some aunts and uncles will dive bomb you and swoop and call out. They will come pretty close. Close enough that you wonder if they are going to keep coming. They will come at your head and swerve at the last second. I would usually just stand still and whistle at them or talk to them.

One day I was standing at the west end of the porch looking down the road, and one did actually brush my arm. It didn’t hurt, it just startled me. I didn’t even know they were about. Maybe it was a game to say hello or something. I can’t remember if the eggs were hatched then or not. I don’t think they were. I like to think that they were so used to us by then that they wanted to say hello. 😀

I got some pictures of the nests and babies by standing on a stool or step ladder at different times. Mom and Dad really didn’t like that. They did get very close to me then. I was a little nervous, but I did get the pictures. Some aren’t as good as I would have liked, but you can kind of see the little ones.

Unfortunately I did find one lying on the porch. It was very small and didn’t have feathers started yet. I don’t know if it was pushed out of the nest by bigger babies, or by Mom because it had died. One nest had four babies and the other had three. As far as I know they all made it, other than the one.

These are the nests built on June 14.

Barn Swallow nests June 14, 2014 Started building them about a week ago (1)Barn Swallow nests June 14, 2014 Started building them about a week ago (2)

These were taken on July 7. The first one is a baby resting it’s head on the edge of the nest.

 July 7, 2014Barnswallos north porch (1)

July 7, 2014Barnswallos north porch (2) July 7, 2014Barnswallos north porch (3) July 7, 2014Barnswallos north porch (4) July 7, 2014Barnswallos north porch (5)

July 12, feeding time!

July 12, 2014 Barnswallows north porce (2) July 12, 2014 Barnswallows north porce (3) July 12, 2014 Barnswallows north porce (4)

July 21, we are getting big enough to try our wings. Some of us anyway. The picture on the right is in the northeast corner of the porch. The babies are a little smaller than the other nest.

July 21, 2014 Barnswallows north porch(1) July 21, 2014 Barnswallows north porch(2)

I can’t remember when they all finally left the nest, but I am pretty sure it was by the end of July. We went from having four flying around to about 10-12. There were two other nests out in our horse shed. I don’t know how many babies were out there. They are still around some. I still see several flying about now and then. I don’t know when they actually leave the area. We have had a fairly nice summer this year. Lots of hot days, but none too long in a row as past summers. Today it is supposed to get up around 100. Yesterday it was 101. Too hot for me, and I am a native Kansan. The older I get the more I hate the heat. And the bitter cold. But at least the humidity was down a little bit yesterday. So I haven’t seen the swallows too much the last couple days.

Until next time:

 Stay safe and God Bless!

 

23 responses to “Bird Nests on the Porch”

  1. Your photos are brilliant, I’m so pleased your feelings of depression have subsided a little enough for you to share your amazing post . Just a quick question how did you get your google + badge on the bottom of your blog ???? I hit it by the way LOL

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Let me think. I set these things then can’t remember how I did it. I went to my WordPress dashboard, then settings, Sharing. There should be a place for Google+ box where you can connect. Also sharing buttons you can drag to a box to add them to your blog. I hope I told you correctly. Are you on Google +?

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  4. Thank you for hitting the button. I do struggle with depression off and on. I take medicine for it and it helps. I especially have trouble with it when I have stressful moments. Family moments the most. Thankfully I have not felt like I had to commit suicide like Robin Williams. Such a sad thing.

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  5. Wow! Those are great photos — and you were brave to get so close! Glad to hear your weather is cooling off some. And I was complaining about 80+ degrees here; I will stop omplaining now hearing as how you’re having temps in the 100’s! Stay cool, and glad your depression is better. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  6. It is cooling off, but it is still in the 90s. It is supposed to rain and cool things off maybe Friday. It keeps going around us to the north and west. The whole state needs it, and I am glad somebody is getting rain. But, we need it now. It has been about two weeks since the last good soaking. I am a fall and spring person. I like it coooooollll. Not cold. My depression comes and goes. It just depends on how stressed I get about certain things.

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  7. Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
    When we first moved into our home here in the mountains outside Madrid 15 years ago the previous owners had instructed the gardener to destroy any swallow nests. We now have around 12 active nests and each year we welcome them back from Africa and in October we wave them off again usually following a last dramatic aerial display. Whilst we may have a bit of poop in the garage and other areas, the most wonderful benefit is that the mosquitos that plagued us in the early couple of years are taken care off by experts…lovely post and great blog to follow.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Thank you for liking my post. It is fun to see them return every year. I worried about them last year when they didn’t return. I was afraid they wouldn’t be back at. I have heard of Chimney Sweeps, but don’t think I have ever seen on. I’ll have to check my bird book. Hope you will check out more of my posts. Thank you for stopping by.

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  10. Thank you for liking my post. Maybe that would explain why I haven’t noticed so many mosquitoes this year! Never connected that to the birds. Lol. The first year or two we just put down some rocks that are very abundant on our farm. This year we put down some cardboard and weighted them with the rocks. It worked out very well. Although there was a few areas around that got pooped on. Thank you for following my blog. My son says it is boring. Or at least in the beginning he said so. I have no idea if he is reading it or not.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Thanks for sharing this!
    They are fun to observe!
    Inspiring me now to write a blog about the birds on my porch at my son’s place in 2013. I have pics too 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Thank you. We like it here and the view is a bonus. I am hoping to see the birds back again this year. I enjoy watching the babies. And thank you for nominating me for the Creative Bloggers Award. I will go to the link. 🙂

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