Babies on the Porch

Feeding the Hungry Mouths

For the last three years, we have had a pair of barn swallows raising two clutches each season on our porch.  So used to us that they fly past us frequently, at eye level, they have had great success with their clutches.  We like to watch them glide and swoop, and then swoop in, feed the babies, and swoop right back out!  This year, they raised five in the first clutch.  Two of those met their fates, one flew into the door and was found on the porch, and the other I found in the yard.  The other three we hope survived. 

The second clutch so far has lost one baby, fallen out of the nest twice.  We gave up after the second time, and put it down sadly, as we could not feed it and keep it going while we are both working.  Now the babies are big, and we are hoping no one else falls out.