Lady Bluebird is doing fine ...

Text and photos © 2015 Adele Wilson, author of Bonding with the Barn Swallows

As far as I can tell, the new female Bluebird who arrived on the scene on June 12th is doing fine.  I am calling her "Lady Bluebird" because she seems so sophisticated and vigilant.  To the right is a photo that I took of her on the evening of June 14th.

Lady Bluebird is diligently incubating her eggs now.  I sometimes see her in the mornings peeking out of the nest box hole.  The incubation period is critical for female Bluebirds because they like their privacy and do not like being disturbed.  So, when I go out in the yard to refill the bird feeders, I try to tiptoe past her box and pretend that I don't see her inside.

Lady Bluebird's mate (I still call him "Mr. Bluebird"), also seems to be doing fine.  He has been hanging around since May 10th, the date that he and his previous mate took over the first nest box.  Poor little fellow!  He's been through so much, losing his first mate, who ended up abandoning the nest.

Mr. Bluebird seems to be a little more attentive to Lady Bluebird than he was to his previous mate.  He had also been busy guarding his territory, including both his own nest box and the now-empty second box.  He chases House Sparrows from the second box when he sees them, but I don't know if he will succeed in preventing the sparrows from nesting there.

The photo to the left shows Mr. and Lady Bluebird guarding their box on the morning of June 22nd.  Mr. Bluebird is the more brightly colored bird on the left, while Lady Bluebird is on the right.  Mother Nature gives the female Bluebird subtler colors to help guard against their becoming easy prey for cats, racoons, and larger birds.

Just a few minutes before I took this photo, Mr. and Lady Bluebird were guarding the second box.  The photo below shows them around that box.

In the meantime, we now quite a number of swallows flying around -- three different species in all, including Barn Swallows, the birds I wrote about in my book.  The other morning, all three species were flying above the yard.

The few Barn Swallows that arrived in April have now fledged their first broods of the season.  It is easy to recognize the juvenile Barn Swallows flying high in the air because they are slightly smaller than the adults and must flap their wings more rapidly.

To the right are some juvenile Barn Swallows whom I was able to photograph on June 22nd.  Although their wings are already rather long, their tail feathers have not yet grown to the adult length.

Tree Swallows comprise the second species that was present the other morning.  Six Tree Swallows were flying around the second nest box, the box inside which their eggs went missing about a week or so ago.  It was quite a decision for me to remove their nest and clean the box after I discovered their eggs to be gone, but a major factor was that the pair of Tree Swallows were no longer hanging around the box.  To see photos of Tree Swallows, you can go to my post of May 17th.

I thought that removing the nest in the second box would help deter House Sparrows from nesting in the box, but, judging from what I observed this morning, I might be incorrect about that.  I observed a pair of sparrows perching near the box, and the male even went inside the box and came out again.

The third species of swallow that was around the other morning was the Cliff Swallow.  To the left is a rare photo of a Cliff Swallow that I shot in 2014.

The same morning when I spotted the Barn and Tree Swallows flying around, three Cliff Swallows flew up to my porch nest.  House Sparrows are currently using that nest, but the nest is actually a Cliff Swallow nest.  It was a Barn Swallow nest until July 2013, when Cliff Swallows arrived and remodeled it.  The nest was used by Cliff Swallows in both 2013 and 2014.  More about this in a future post.






If you have enjoyed these photos, you might want to check out the 117 photos in my book, Bonding with the Barn Swallows.  Many of them show close-ups of the baby Barn Swallows that were hatched on my porch during 2011 and 2012.  There are also photos of the parent swallows guarding the nest and feeding their young.  As an extra bonus, the book includes photos of five different juvenile Barn Swallows, just ten days after fledging.  You will be amazed at their varied markings.  The book describes how one special male Barn Swallow communicated to me by his body language on the utility wire and how, only two days later, I discovered what he was trying to tell me.  The book is available by clicking on the image to the right. 

Two Nest Boxes, Two Bird Families: Bluebirds and Tree Swallows!

Text and photos © 2015 Adele Wilson, author of Bonding with the Barn Swallows

Yes!  Tree Swallows have claimed the second nest box!  After the original Tree Swallow nest in Box #1 was hijacked by Bluebirds on May 10th, we finally mounted a second box (Box #2) on May 19th. 

A pair of Tree Swallows claimed Box #2 on May 23rd and have now started building a nest inside of it.  The photo to the right shows the female Tree Swallow peeking out of Box #2 and holding straw in her bill, straw that she would be adding to the nest inside the box  The male is to the left, flying away from the box.

Sadly, however, this pair of Tree Swallows does not appear to be the same pair of Tree Swallows who were chased out of Box #1 by the Bluebirds on May 10th.

I felt so sorry for the female Tree Swallow who had been building a nest in Box #1 for 9 full days when she and her mate were chased away by the Bluebirds.  The female Tree Swallow and her mate kept hanging around my yard for several days thereafter, mating on the fence during the mornings.  I knew that the female was ready to lay eggs and hoped and prayed that she would find a place to lay them.

Back to Box #1:  The Bluebirds seem to be doing fine, and the female has laid five eggs!  The female is often inside the box incubating the eggs, but she sometimes takes breaks and leaves the box, especially during warm afternoons.

While the female is inside the box, the male brings her food and feeds her through the box's hole, just as if he is feeding a baby. This is an excellent way for him to practice what he will have to do once the eggs hatch!

A couple of mornings ago, I observed the female Bluebird peeking out of the hole of the nest box.  Soon the male came to the box and fed her through the hole.  To my surprise, when the male flew from the box, the female left the box and flew after him!  I wonder if she was chastising him for not feeding her often enough.

The size of the hole on a Bluebird nest box easily accommodates Tree Swallows as well as Bluebirds.  In geographical regions where both species breed, the two species commonly compete for nest sites. 

It is often recommended to mount nest boxes in pairs, one for Bluebirds and one for Tree Swallows.  The reason for this is that Bluebirds and Tree Swallows can coexist in the same breeding territory as long as they both have boxes in which to nest.  Also, the Tree Swallows can help defend both boxes from predators by swooping at any bird, animal, or even a human, that comes close to the boxes.

A pair of Bluebirds requires a radius of 300 feet for its territory and will chase away any other Bluebirds within that radius.  However, Bluebirds that are already established in a nest will not chase nearby nesting Tree Swallows away.

Tree Swallows defend a territory from other Tree Swallows, but only within a 100-foot radius.  They will tolerate Bluebirds in their territory because the diets of Tree Swallows and Bluebirds differ immensely.

While Bluebirds feed on insects and larvae on the ground, Tree Swallows feed on flying insects.  Thus, there is no competition for food within the same territory.

The photo on the right shows the male Bluebird, who has just captured some food.

The recommendation is to mount the two boxes, one for Bluebirds and the other for Tree Swallows, no more than five to ten feet apart.   We tried to do that, but were unsuccessful.

We were restrained by the parameters specified by Bluebird organizations and also by restrictions from our landlord.  Bluebird specifications dictate that, in order to help guard against predators (and we have plenty of roaming cats around here), a Bluebird box must be mounted on a pole and in an open area, preferably at least 20 feet from a building, fence, or tree.  Our landlord restricted us from being able to mount the boxes in the middle of the lawn.  The reason for the restriction was that this type of location would add complications to the chore of lawn mowing.

We received permission from our landlord to mount a box near the septic tank opening, which is about 25 feet from our building.  So that is where we mounted Box #1 on April 24th.

It took only a week for birds to claim Box #1, but the birds ended up being Tree Swallows rather than Bluebirds.  After Bluebirds hijacked the box from the Tree Swallows only nine days later, we decided that we needed to mount a second nest box, one for the Tree Swallows.  The photo to the left shows the two Bluebirds on Box #1 the day they hijacked the box.  The female Bluebird is peering through the hole to check the inside of the box.  The male on the roof looks like he is jumping for joy at having procured a suitable nest box!

We tried to mount Box #2 about 5 feet from Box #1 where it would have not interfered with lawn mowing.  However, a layer of rock about 6 inches below the surface of the ground prevented the driving of the pole far enough into the soil.

The only option at that point was to mount Box #2 along the horse pasture fence where our landlord had also given us permission.  To mount a nest box along a fence is not an optimal choice because predators can sometimes use a fence to gain access to a nest.  However, this is the only choice our landlord gave us based on avoidance of lawn-mowing complications.

We ended up locating Box #2 between two metal fence poles that are about 4.3 feet high and 8 feet apart.  The box is located 28 feet from a 11-foot high wooden fence post that serves as a lookout tower for several different species of birds.  We are hoping that the fence post is far enough away from Box #2 that a large bird cannot use the post to prey upon the birds using the box.

The photo below, from the morning of May 28th, shows Box #2 on the left, separated from the high fence post by three metal fence poles.

The photo below, from May 20th, the day after we mounted Box #2, shows Box #1 in the foreground on the right, with Box #2 in the background.  The two boxes are about 75 feet apart although in the photo they look closer.  This photo was taken three days before the Tree Swallows arrived and claimed Box #2.  I cannot identify the bird perching on top of Box #2 in the photo, but the Bluebirds from Box #1 are perching on the fence.  The male Bluebird is on the wire at the center of the photo, and the female is on top of the fence pole on the right.

While Box #1 is about 4.3 feet high, we mounted Box #2 a little higher.  The distance from the ground to the lower edge of Box #2 is about 5.3 feet.

The higher a nest box is from the ground, the lesser the chance that House Sparrows will use the box.  This is a matter of great concern because we do have House Sparrows in close proximity, and House Sparrows have been known to enter a nest box and destroy the young of the host species.

The day after we mounted Box #2, I noticed a House Sparrow hovering near the entrance hole of that box and perching on the fence next to the box.  To my delight, the male Bluebird from Box #1 immediately flew to Box #2 and chased the House Sparrow away!

Also to my delight, when the Tree Swallows arrived and began investigating Box #2 on May 23rd, the Bluebirds did not chase them away!  What I had read about Bluebirds and Tree Swallows peacefully nesting near one another had proven true.  To this day, the Tree Swallows are still guarding Box #2, and the Bluebirds have not bothered the Tree Swallows.

The photo below shows Box #2 on the morning of May 24th, just one day after the new pair of Tree Swallows claimed the box.  The male Tree Swallow is perching on the fence pole, while the female is inside the box, peeking out.

Optimally, we should have already had Box #1 mounted by early March when our local Bluebirds start choosing their mates and searching for nest sites.  But we did not get it mounted until April 24th. For one thing, my neighbor was mounting these boxes for me as favor.  For another, it took a great deal of time for us to decide upon a nest box design, plan its location, and gather the parts needed for mounting.  Besides, in early March it was likely that the ground would have been too frozen for driving a pole into the ground.

In early March, no Tree Swallows would have been on the scene.  That is because, while Bluebirds remain in this area all winter long, Tree Swallows are migratory and do not arrive here until early April.  Although Bluebirds tend to be feisty and defensive of their chosen nesting sites, they would not have had any competition from Tree Swallows during March.

If you don't want to miss the news about the hatching of the Bluebird eggs or whether the female Tree Swallow lays eggs in Box #2, you can follow this blog by entering your email address at the top right of this page.

If you have enjoyed these photos, you might want to check out the 117 photos in my book, Bonding with the Barn Swallows.  Many of them show closeups of the baby Barn Swallows that were hatched on my porch during 2011 and 2012.  There are also photos of the parent swallows guarding the nest and feeding their young.  As an extra bonus, the book includes photos of five different juvenile Barn Swallows, just ten days after fledging.  You will be amazed at their varied markings.  The book describes how one special male Barn Swallow communicated to me by his body language on the utility wire and how, only two days later, I discovered what he was trying to tell me.  The book is available at Amazon at:   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494481464/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1494481464&linkCode=as2&tag=barnswalfrie-20&linkId=5WME3VAHNSX3EXHH

How Baby Barn Swallows Grow Up (includes photos)

by Adele Barger Wilson, author of Bonding with the Barn Swallows
Photos and text © 2014 Adele Wilson

Bonding with the Barn Swallows consists of 186 pages and includes 117 photos.  The book is available from Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494481464/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1494481464&linkCode=as2&tag=barnswalfrie-20&linkId=JNK4O4JMGK2QOCOU

In eastern West Virginia, Barn Swallows return from South America around mid-April.  After recuperating from their long journey north by resting and feasting on flying insects, the swallows begin their courtship activities.

Once the female chooses a mate, her mate will show her either a previously used nest or a new nesting site.  If the female approves of the location, the pair will begin to either refurbish the old nest or, if no old nest is available, to build a nest from scratch.

Once the nest is ready, the pair of swallows begin lining it with feathers.  The feathers ensure both warmth and cushioning for the soon-to-be-laid eggs.

A female Barn Swallow generally lays three to six eggs, with the average number being five.  She begins incubating her eggs on the day before the last egg is laid and continues incubating them for about thirteen to fifteen days.

During the incubation time period, the female sits on the nest all night.  The male will guard her by perching near the nest in order to prevent her from mating with other males.

The male will take turns sitting on the eggs during the daytime so that the female can forage for flying insects.  The female will return to the nest when she has had her fill, allowing the male to leave the nest and do the same.  Just before sunset, the female will settle into the nest for the night.

The eggs hatch over a period of one to three days.  The hatchlings are tiny, pink, and featherless.  The female must continue sitting on the nest for the first few days in order to keep the hatchlings warm.  She will take only short breaks outside the nest to capture insects on the fly.  Both the female and the male feed the chicks by bringing insects to the nest.

The babies will not be large enough to show their heads above the nest for a few days.  In fact their eyes are still closed during the first week of their lives. 

As the babies grow larger, so does the job of feeding them.   Feeding the babies is an arduous task that begins just after sunrise and lasts until sunset.

Barn Swallows are very devoted parents. The papa Barn Swallow shares the duty of feeding the nestlings.  It is not unusual for the parent swallows, one at a time, to arrive at the nest with food every few minutes.

The babies are able to start flapping their wings on their ninth day of life.  From about day twelve they are able to preen themselves.  While their feathers are still growing, the babies display a rather ragged appearance.

By the time a chick is sixteen to seventeen days old, it has acquired much of its juvenile plumage.  Chicks can fledge (leave the nest) at the age of eighteen days or wait as long as twenty-three days.  Nineteen days is the average fledging age that I have observed.

In the cases of some broods, all of the chicks leave the nest on the same day, while in other cases, part of the brood will fledge on one day, with the other part waiting until the next day.  Often a fledgling will return to the nest on the night of the day that it has fledged.  It will spend the night, and then leave the nest for good the following day.

The photo on the right was taken the night before the day that all five of the chicks fledged from the nest.  I came home from work that evening to find the nest totally bare.

But later that evening, there was a great surprise.  Two of the fledglings returned to the nest and spent the night!  Early the next morning, however, the two fledglings left the nest for good.  As I was leaving for work that morning, I spotted all five of the fledglings on a fence in a nearby horse pasture, awaiting feeding by their parents.

It has been said that the parents will spend a week feeding the fledglings outside the nest, but sometimes this time period can be extended.  To the left is a photo of a juvenile, about ten days after leaving the nest.  My estimate of its age is about 29 days.

In Bonding with the Barn Swallows, I share my personal experiences with three broods of Barn Swallows on my porch through text and photos.  The book describes the wonders of seeing them guard the nest area from the utility wire, the male guarding his mate (from quite unusual positions on the porch!), marking the nest with a feather, incubating the eggs, feeding the babies, and even taking breaks to land on the porch rail to let me photograph them! 

Included is the story about how one special male Barn Swallow and I became friends.  He even communicated to me twice, once vocally and the other through his body language.  Two days after he communicated to me by body language, an event revealed what he was trying to tell me.

If you are interested in close-up perspectives of bird behavior or just want to learn more about birds, this is the book for you!

Just click on the image below to order: