Guard!

While biking near a reservoir in Colorado I saw a pair of swallows taking turns entering this box with an abundance of bugs and exiting as soon as the other appeared. .

Tree Swallow feeding its youngs.

Very hungry chicks make parents busy.

Tree Swallow fledglings feeding

Tree Swallows 3 fledged, one left

The 4 fledglings were raised soley by the mom, she lost her mate.

Three’s a Crowd

Waiting for dinner to be delivered the day before fledging.

Patiently waiting for supper!

Beautiful tree swallows came back again this year. Nested in a bird house on the railing of our deck and hatched 78 gorgeous babies!

Hungry Baby!

On 6-15-14 I found these little guys had just hatched and by 7-2-14 they were demanding to be fed!!

Newly Hatched Baby Tree Swallows

On 5-18-14 I observed the nest preparation. The wait was over on 6-15-14 when the babies hatched.

Mouthful!

5-18-14 – More nest preparation by the Tree Swallows.

Tree Swallow Nest Prep

Each year I anxiously await the arrival of the Tree Swallows. I enjoy watching as they share the raising of their family with me. On 5-18-14, I was excited as I observed the nest preparation. This was a first for me. Now the real waiting began!!

Hungry Tree Swallow Fledglings

I was thrilled to witness these young fledglings exercising their wings on a rock in my yard while a parent kept swooping in to feed the hungry bunch.

Tree Swallow Babies

These young tree swallows were growing rapidly and still needed lots of rest.

Tree Swallow Ready to Fledge

This was a tree swallow a few days before fledging from a nest I had been watching.

Sleeping Beauty

Sleepy baby

Waiting for lunch

Tree swallow babies in a nest box

One of 40+ nest boxes on our property for swallows, wrens, chickadees, etc. Some are situated low enough to snap a photo of the hungry babies!

A Kiss For Good Luck!

This baby American Tree Swallow had just fledged and landed on the wire where the male was feeding him.

Give it to me!

Male Tree Swallow bringing one of his babies a dragonfly. I can not believe how many dragonflies they bring back to their young. It was non-stop and they ate every one.

How many Swallows can fit in one house.

Mayflies!

Open Wide

And the Choir Sang!

Tree Swallow Nestlings Begging Just Before Arrival of Parent

Incoming dinner.

Taken at Broadmoor Audubon Sanctuary. The pole is holding up a nest box. There were two chicks in the box but the chick sitting on top was getting all the food.

Dinner Call

Tree Swallow Dinner Time

Tree Swallow twins

Don’t forget dessert!

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology