Tree Swallow Nest Camera 2011

The first 2 swallow babies hatched early on Sunday June 12th. Another swallow, presumably a female, tried to take over the nest today!  As we watched the TV screen we saw a swallow enter and jump on mama and fight with her. Chris went out and lifted the lid on the birdhouse and the intruder flew out. A few minutes later, it was back and attacked mama again! We were worried that she might get injured or the 2 little babies in the nest at the time might get hurt.  We both went outside and Chris got a ladder this time. He reached in and took one bird out. I thought was should remove them both because at that point we really had no idea which one was which. The second bird flew out on its own just then.

Swallow babies with mouths open ready for food

I stood and watched the birdhouse for a while to see if we had spooked mama for good or what? Which one was going to come back first? Would it be the intruder and would it hurt the babies. I had read on a bird website that sometimes birds will invade the nest of another to try and take over the location. They sometimes kill the other adult on the nest, then kill the babies or get rid of the eggs so they can nest there. I have no ides where papa was all this time...

The real mama did come back and 2 more babies hatched later that day. The 4th hatched late that evening and #5 hatched the next day June 13th. Egg #6 had disappeared from the nest  a few days ago (June 9th). We aren't sure what happened exactly as we were away for the day. We had noticed that morning though, what looked like  2 tiny black spots, maybe holes in one egg. We had thought it was hatching but when we came home that evening, that egg was gone.

The adult swallows have been quite diligent about not leaving the nest for very long without one of them there. I hope that is the end of the nest takeover attempts!

Today the babies are 5 days old and they have grown some fuzz since yesterday. At first they were all pink, floppy and weak. They were very helpless and had a difficult time holding up their little heads. They have grown bigger and stronger already.

Papa and Mama are both in the nest

Both mama and papa feed them, but mama always brings them more food than papa. Mama always chirps at them when she enters the nest and the babies automatically open their little beaks for food. Papa sometimes only brings enough to feed one or two and it always looks like the same one.  Mama also sits on the babies regularly, but Papa just sits next to them and watches them while he waits for mama to come back.  We have recorded some of the nest activity on the VCR.