Late Arrivals

For the past 3 years we have had a pair of swallows nest on top of the tines of a large, yellow, plastic rake that hangs on the wall of the feed room ( for the horse feed, not ours, in case there should be any confusion).

All in all this well travelled pair have raised over 20 young from this precarious location, they have been disturbed by humans at least 10 times a day, not to mention the cat, the dogs and opportunist squirrels.

This year, we waited with anticipation. Two other swallow couples appeared, but no rakers.

Four weeks later the other pairs were brooding their eggs and still no sign of the rake couple. I decided to take the rake down, remove the last years nest and put the rake back into use.

The very next day one additional swallow appeared, and two days later, his mate arrived. I felt so guilty as I watched their tentative efforts to build a new nest, that was made even more difficult due to the lack of wet mud in the exceptionally dry spring.

After a few days they gave up and made a new nest in the roof of a stable, and now these late arrivals are caring for four young. Two fledged today, and these are the two who stayed in the nest.

Meanwhile the other two pairs of swallows are each sitting on a second clutch of eggs.