how many swallows does it take to change a lightbulb? VIDEO

[nev]

Or.... how many swallows can you get in a nest about 3in dia balanced on a mini floodlight?

answer: 4 and two adults that have had to move out due to overcrowding but still provide the food!

 

[thick_mike]

Beautiful. A really bad breeding season for lots of birds this year...even the ducks haven't enjoyed the weather!

I take it that's a chick we can see in the first shot (due to lack of tail streamers)?

 

[nev]

...
I take it that's a chick we can see in the first shot (due to lack of tail streamers)?

Yes, no room for the adults now. Got a great view from the bathroom window, so get to watch the chicks taking it in turns to have a stretch and flutter between beakfulls of food turning up.
with any luck they'll be back next year too

 

[adidat]

the little fockers sh*t all over my motorbike, but sweet to watch at the same time.

adidat

 

[thick_mike]

At least finding mud to build with hasn't been a problem this year!

 

[nev]

the little fockers sh*t all over my motorbike, but sweet to watch at the same time.

adidat

yes, my vans getting a recoat too!

 

[nev]

and now a short video... who'd have thought, a week old and housetrained!
http://youtu.be/5UU9bQp_iJk

 

[Jonzjob]

the little fockers sh*t all over my motorbike, but sweet to watch at the same time.

adidat

They Fockers are surely Messishits? And long may they give you their best wishes adidat!

They are so beautiful and as an RC glider guider if I could fly 10% as well as they do I would take every World championship there is..

Lovely photos

 

[RogerS]

When did yours arrive? Ours were very late this year...not sure if they have any hatchlings. I was forewarned and stuck up some dust covers suspended over my stuff while leaving a room for them to swoop up into the nest. Now they just sh*t in the one place ! Beautiful birds though....the House Martins are pretty agile but every so often the swallows have to give them a flying display to remind them of how it should be done.

 

[nev]

When did yours arrive? Ours were very late this year...not sure if they have any hatchlings. I was forewarned and stuck up some dust covers suspended over my stuff while leaving a room for them to swoop up into the nest. Now they just sh*t in the one place ! Beautiful birds though....the House Martins are pretty agile but every so often the swallows have to give them a flying display to remind them of how it should be done.

not quite sure, but seemed to 'fly' #-o through the whole process. arrived one day, started building the nest a day or two after that, then laid straight away, incubated, hatched and now fledged. i hope!.
a day or three after the pictures were taken the nest had disappeared :shock: found it in the grass about 10 feet forward of where it would have landed if it fell straight down. I am hoping the bouncing up and down while fledging is what tilted the light down a little too much and off it came. no sign of a struggle or feathers anywhere and I'm sure I spotted a young 'un following an adult about the skies a couple of days later. so fingers crossed it was a fruitful year for the swallows!