Mom!

It has been said that a picture speaks a thousand words. To me, these images speak a mere three. “Mom! I’m hungry!” To be fair, one must swap out Mom for Dad about half the time.

I’ve been very fortunate to have captured this same event a couple other times, earlier this year. I posted about those adventures in Fly-by Parents and Look What I Stumbled Upon. But, there’s nothing wrong with a third serving of such a fascinating, vivid and joyous happening.

We are graced by the beauty and splendor of three types of swallows; Purple Martins, Tree Swallows and the smallest and most acrobatic of the group, Barn Swallows. Of the three, Barn Swallows are my favorite because they are amazing aerialists, they feed on insects in the zone I inhabit and they love being around people.

There is a pair raising chicks in a mud-made nest under the eaves of my office patio. There’s another nest over Robert’s shop door entrance and a third over the door to our kennel room. I haven’t seen it, but I assume there’s a nest in the lean-to and perhaps under the eaves of the outer garage, as well. The birds that are using my patio – oh, yeah they are a bit messy – are raising their second brood in the same nest and the chicks are just about ready to fledge. I can see them popping their heads out to take a peek at the big world that awaits them.

The chicks in the following photos probably belong to one of the other pairs that are using our abode for their prosperity. I suspect there were at least two broods on the same fence when I was filming, since one chick completely ignored the arrival of an adult, while the others clamored to get the next snack. Chicks do not beg to strangers.

Clearly the parents birds are accustomed to human activity. This “line up” occurred on the fence top of our dog’s backyard! When I was filming, Iggy the St. Poodle was trotting just under the location where these recent fledglings were perched. No fear. I guess that comes with having wings!

The little ones sit patiently waiting, lined up next to each other. But, as soon as they see an incoming parent, beaks open, wings flap and their message is clear to their own kind, and humans alike. Feed me!