So, documenting the birth and fledging of a barn swallow family ended up bein' a three parter. Who knew?
Part One introduced the players, Able and Echo. Two lovely barn swallows in the their prime. Devoted to one another, vigilant and protective of their home, and absolutely incredible parents to five babies. It covered nest building, the laying of the eggs, the long wait, and the first hatchling. Thrilling stuff!
Part Two took us from that first egg hatching, through the rest of them making their entrances, then spans an entire two weeks. A bit longish, but the changes are nothing short of amazing! There's shots for every day, but I missed two days. My bad.
Part Three, this segment, takes us from that two week mark until the babies begin to fledge, just four days later. There's closure, so you won't be left hangin.'
I'll start with "one week, two weeks, oh...that's day one." That first two weeks was definitely eventful. Made me think of how much energy they needed to develop so quickly, and how Able and Echo met that challenge superbly. As parents, barn swallows are second to NONE!
Left, one week old. Middle, two weeks. Right, that's the day after the last one hatched. One day old, as a group.
It's now the 22nd of May, 15 days days old. Able and Echo are bein' run ragged by the appetites of these growing kiddos. Back and forth, out and back...all day and well into the dusk. They don't stop until the light is just about gone entirely.
Competition is fierce. There's always one that wants the lion's share. Somehow, though, mom and dad make sure they all get enough to eat.
The last little bits of baby fuzz are hangin' on by a thread. In another day, they'll be sleek, slim and trim in their brand new duds!
Able and Echo are spending much more time on the swing, It's day 16, the 23rd of May. Time for the babies to take to the air. They talk to the kids, then they'll fly out maybe twenty feet, turn, come back to the swing. Talk some more, do it again. Gee...sounds like "school" to me.
They see mom and dad showin' 'em how, but so far, there's been no takers. They ARE all in there. But not for much longer. Somebody's gotta be the first!
And here's the FIRST solo! Just a lucky shot. He flew down to the swing. Able and Echo flew all around him, yakkin' like crazy. Sounded a lot like, "Way to go!" Or, "Well done, son!"
The others were not amused.
The next day, the 24th of May, turned out to be an eventful day. Only two in the nest when I came out for a look see.
The three who'd fledged were sitting on the swing when I opened the door. They took off, of course. Got the shot above, then looked off the porch. Lo and behold, one of the babies was just lookin' SO good! "Stunning," I'd say. I really like this shot. She be watchin' me, watchin' her. Notice the tail...the fork will grow quickly, the signature feature of the barn swallow.
Meanwhile, back at the Waldorf, the last two are workin' up their courage.
Able flew up to the nest. I guess he gave 'em a bit of a pep talk. There was some back and forth, and Echo was on the swing, talkin' to 'em, too. This went on for over two minutes, then Able flew back to the swing.
About the time Able and Echo got settled, this chick started goin' nuts! Flappin' his wings, standing on the edge, lifting off just a little bit.
He stopped, stretched out his wing, turned around...and off he flew. Guess he just needed some encouragement. The last one followed not long after. A lot less fanfare. Just hopped up and flew. Didn't have time to get a picture.
It's been a rainy day, off and on, at Fort Howdy. It's the 26th of May, 2015. You'll notice seven barn swallows sitting on the shepherd's hooks. The entire family gathered for a group portrait. Echo is by the hummingbird feeder. Note her long tail. Able, I believe, is the one at upper left. He appears larger, but can't see his tail well.
Since the 8th of April, a span of some 48 days, I've watched these small and resourceful wild birds that have have adapted so incredibly to living so close to man. They were, at times, within arm's reach and did not startle. Took time, yes, and I've been privileged, even more so, blessed, to have witnessed this tiny piece of the natural world.
It's true, I'm a "bird person." Along with Wonder Wifey, we have three large macaws. A blue and gold, the magnificent, one of a kind, elder of the group, Caribe. Then, there's our "variant" B&G, called a "Bolivian blue and gold." The Bolivian is quite a bit larger, but he's just a big baby. His name is Bravo. And, we also have a rare hybrid, Gandolf, a gorgeously stunning Maui Sunrise macaw, unlike anything you've likely ever seen.
Yeah, birds fascinate me. So, I was a bit sad when I climbed the ladder to take the "empty nest" picture. Seemed like everybody was ready to move on. The blue and gold feather stayed in the nest right to the end.
But...NO! Early evening, I went to the porch. Light's fadin,' and I looked up to the Waldorf, expecting it to be empty. Seems the tribe ain't ready just yet to make it totally on their own. They slept in the nest for about three, four more days, the count seemed to drop day by day. By the end of May, they were all gone.
Then, the "second season" adults startin' showin' up. There was a HUGE battle for the Waldorf! Perhaps another day I'll tell that story, not today.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this small avian odyssey. It was tremendous fun to put together. I've been threatening to do it for two years! I credit Steemit with giving me a platform where I could put the whole story kinda under one banner.
Upvotes and comments are welcome. Next up for me, I'm gonna introduce Caribe and Bravo, my much loved and long time companion birds. The story begins in 2001. There WILL be drama!
Once writ, hit send.....Web Rydr