Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Empty-nest syndrome

Despite what the Chinese calendar would lead you to believe, this is the Year of the Swallow. My then-little colony returned to the 7MSN in April and moved back in to the three nests they had built last year.

Apparently word got out that I was offering free room and board bugs to all takers. The next thing I knew, I was being swallowed up. I have my very own housing bubble, and there is still no sign of it collapsing. There are nests on the front porch and nests on the back porch. There's even an overflow nest above the garage door filled with swallows on a waiting-list for the roomier nests uptown.

All these swallows allow me to take bug-free afternoon naps on the porch, which seem to occur more frequently these days because the $%#@?! swallows outside my bedroom window wake up around 4 a.m. and make a racket unlike anything I've ever heard! But I won't complain too much because the audiotrack they've provided to my summer has been rather pleasant overall.

Yesterday, the fledglings left their nest on the back porch and ventured down to the hitching rail. Their mom flew in and dropped off a little snack.





She must have told them, "Now you stay right here until I get back and don't you move!" because I was able to walk right up to them.



Before I know it, they'll be off to college or flight school or wherever it is swallows go for their higher education. I'll be left with a bunch of empty nests and I shall miss them. But the messy floors in their rooms? Not so much.



15 comments:

  1. Amazing pictures! I love the swallows, too - we have two types - the barn swallows around the barn and then the tree swallows everywhere else. They should be doing well this year, considering the number of mosquitos we have!

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  2. I agree with Kate, amazing pictures and neat commentary to go along with them.

    Carson, I want a picture of a Bullsnake climbing the stucco walls ... that has got to be a sight!

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  3. I LOVE swallows--I could spend hours (when I should be working on fencing) watching them do their aerobatics! We haven't been able to attract too many to this place, not sure why. I'd be happy to live with the mess, considering that they do such a great job on the bugs. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. And I thought I had managed to get a few good swallow photos this weekend! The close up of that little fellow is way too adorable! I love swallows and they are amazing at keeping the bug population under control. Most of the families have vacated the barn where I work part time and the presence of flies was markedly increased. Yuk. Had to remember to keep my mouth closed. ;o)

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  5. Love the pictures! We had a pair of sparrow's nesting in our carport. The male was very friendly sitting on our porch rail. We were excited to watch them this summer. Then Cowboy found the female dead in the yard. The male cried for her for a couple days, and then left. We were very sad.

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  6. such a cute post, love your humor & take on life

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  7. Those babies are too cute! Such expression! Love that you let them all stay, messy floors and all :)

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  8. I am SO glad i will continue to have swallows when I move to NM. Can't think of a nicer way to mess up barn, porch floors and have free entertainment and bug patrol. It is amazing how close you can get to the babes, huh?

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  9. They are so much fun to watch. And wow, what cute babies they are!

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  10. Great pictures and commentary once again. I had a nest outside the kitchen window under the eaves in the crook of a rain gutter. They finally flew away last week but I have many memories of them. Mostly left dripping on my lawn furniture.

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  11. Great shots Carson, glad you are enjoying them...

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  12. Beautiful!

    Both the photography and the play with the English language!

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  13. What a perfect method of bug control! Sure beats Deet!!! Great photos :)

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  14. Wow great shots! Those little babies are so cute!

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