I don't speak barn swallow, but I am pretty sure that's what the ones who have a nest over my front door are chirping about of late......okay only door - I live in an apartment complex that for all the world probably is the closest thing our here in rice country that resembles a barn. You see, these cute little swallows (they're cute when they aren't dive bombing me anyway), apparently a monogamous little pair, and quite fruitful, a couple of months ago, right on time, constructed this little mud and straw nest that looks like a balcony. So the gal pal and my kids and I have been waiting for the inevitable couple of chicks to appear, poking their little beaks over the edge of the nest on the lookout for mom or dad returning with grubs or some other such tasty morsels.
Well about a week ago, they finally did. The girlfriend has said she's seen as many as six chicks, but I never see more than four as a rule, I am assuming they are taking turns standing on the each other's backs, as the nest just doesn't seem large enough for the flock these two proud parents hatched. I have watched the mama and papa swallows come and go, but they usually just stop on the wooden ledge and feed the kids, or simply do flybys to take inventory every few seconds.
I now notice about three feet away from the original nest, a new one being constructed, well after the nest building period and mating time for these little guys. One can only conclude that they, as humans do, can tell when they have outgrown their abode, and apparently are adding a master bedroom. That's fine by me, and very resourceful of the little feathered guys, but I wish the had budgeted in enough to their project for a new bathroom as well well away from my stairs.........I guess the upside to the mess, is that I at least know now that the dewberries are ripe and that if I beat the birds to them before they are all gone, I can pick enough for a couple of dewberry cobblers. Oh, and the Hindi script below is a testimonial to my stumbling through setting up this blog..........I left the translator on, and that is how "Honey, I Think We Need A Bigger Place" looks in Hindi. I just left it because it looks cool. My Indian friends should get a laugh out of that.......
