One of my favorite things about this time of year is the return of barn swallows. These social, acrobatic, chatty birds come in droves and make themselves at home in our barns and outbuildings like we’re the hottest spot in the neighborhood.
 |
| Babies in a mud nest, peeking their little heads out. A meal from mom and dad is on the way! |
They are fascinating to watch–whenever I get the mower out, at least a dozen birds swoop and dive and twist close by, like mini fighter jets, snatching bugs that jump out of the grass. They’re particularly good with flies and anything that eats biting flies around here is welcome as far as I’m concerned.
 |
| Watching a nestful of babies. |
Of course, they aren’t always super considerate house guests…I can’t blame them for dive bombing the cats every time they stroll out to the barn. Still we have to make sure there’s nothing important directly under a nestful of chicks. Barn swallows, as awesome as they are, have not discovered diapering their infants yet.
 |
| Ew…gross. |
