Tree Swallow Nest Building

Tree Swallows choosing their bird house

The tree Swallows are busy pairing up, mating and building nests.
The female that is nesting in our Nest Cam birdhouse has been diligently adding dried grass piece by piece, trip after trip, only stopping occasionally to fly around and catch an insect meal. Look out mosquitoes!


One coveted item that the swallows love in their nests are white feathers. Yesterday I tried to pull a few white feathers from my pillow without a lot of success. Then I decided to take more drastic measures. I took out our huge heavy feather duvet and slip a small opening in the end. I took out a few handfuls of feathers and put them into a bag.


Outside it was quite breezy and I let a few feathers fly in the wind, rescuing any that got tangled in the lilac shrubs or landed too close to the house. ( Don't want the cats to interfere with the nesting business.)




One of the first feathers that I let fly was intercepted mid air by one of the swallows and quickly taken back to the birdhouse. (The Nest Cam birdhouse) Both males and females will catch feathers although only the female seems to build the actual nest. The male will proudly bring his prize to his new bride to add where she wishes. The male occasionally visits the bird house and surveys the work in progress.

In no time at all there were 6 or 8 swallows swooping around and vying for the feathers. Somehow all the swallows in close vicinity got the message. The bravest ones landed on the ground to find feathers. A few feathers I had to re-launch into the air, but by evening there were no feathers left anywhere on the lawn and I had let them go in 4 different places. It was quite comical to see the swallows chasing the feathers that the wind was carrying aloft. Some had to try several times before they caught them mid air. I guess blowing feathers act differently that flying insects. :)

cushy nest

So now we have at least half a dozen plush, feathery nests in our birdhouses. Talk about luxury accommodations!

'Nest Cam Mama' is doing a fine job today of adding grasses to her nest and it looks almost done. :)

Mama Tree Swallow surveying her handiwork.