Swooping Swallows

It's spring in Coastal BC and our flying friends are busy nesting. You've already heard about my woodpecker ( Rat-a-Tat-Tat and I Hear You Knocking But You Can't Come In) and bat (Bats in My Belfry) experiences. We've also had lots of swallow activity.

So far we have identified three types of swallows around our cabin. It seems surprising, but they all fly together while feeding on the multitude of insects.

The Barn Swallows have been trying to build a nest on our cabin. They worked on it for over a week, but the foundation gave way and it fell. So far we don't see any evidence of a new one.

This year we installed five bird nests. They seem to be popular with both the Violet and Green Swallows and Tree Swallows. The Violet and Green Swallow is distinguished by the continuation of its white breast up and over the eye. The Tree Swallow does not have this extra white extension.

All three types of swallow seem to spend only a little time daily in nest building. The bulk of the day is for feeding and aerial acrobatics. They are happy birds. They sing frequently and are fun to watch.

Do you have swallows in your area? We would be interested in hearing your nesting and observation stories. -- Margy