That was close

About three weeks ago I posted a photo of a nest of swallows almost ready to fledge (here) and thought the parents would probably lay a second clutch of eggs.  That is what happened, and there are now six eggs in the nest and the swallows are sitting.

This morning I found a swallow that had died as a result of a freak accident.  It had perched on the top of the byre door and got its foot trapped between two boards.  In struggling to free itself it had slid down the door, still with its leg trapped, and died there - see extra, only if you want to.

I was worried that it was one of the parent birds, as I think it would be impossible for a swallow to hatch a clutch of eggs and raise the chicks alone.  So I was pleased when one parent came and sat on the wire then the other flew off the nest to join it.

Young swallows tend to return to the nest site for a while to roost overnight, and it will be one of those that had got trapped.  The reddish throats of the chicks are much paler than those of the adults.

Not the best, but it could have been worse.