Terry is out baling…6:30 in the morning and just enough dew (YEA) to set the baler up and give it a good go before the heat starts rising.
We are thinking we will be able to get another cutting this year, but if the water shrinks anymore that will be the last cutting.
At least we will get two cuttings and we are darn grateful for those.
Anyhow, what I’m really writing about is the Barn Swallows.
I don’t have a photo of the birds themselves, because they are very careful to fly off the second I appear.
See this little pair of Barn Swallows decided to build a nest on the house, upstairs, next to the north side window. They must be a young pair as they MADE A MESS!!!
I had mud all over the screen, bird droppings on the screen and the window…huge mess. I got so mad at them (they only had the two bottom rows done on their nest) that I yelled out the window for them to go someplace else…the other side of the house, THE BARN, the tractor shed, BUT NOT ON THE WINDOW!!
Then I scraped off their little nest and told them to LEAVE!
Later on that morning, I was visiting the Northview Dairy blog, whereby Threecollie was talking about a nesting Robin on her house.
By this time I was feeling really bad I had knocked down the little mud house and yelled at the cute little pair of birds, there she was telling us about her darling Robin family, that was nesting on HER house.
(Which reminds me…I encourage you to visit Northview Diary….Threecollie and her family live in up-state New York. I’m always amazed at the differences in weather from here to there. They get way too much rain and we don’t get enough. But her blog is a delight– full of fun, excellent writing, and a true peak into dairy farming —- I encourage you to visit.)
So I went back upstairs, poked my head out the window and hollered to all the birds flying around, sitting on the Blue Spruce trees and on the electric lines that I was sorry.
I then asked the little Barn Swallows to come back, just don’t build where the screen and the windows get dirty. Build where we can ENJOY them and their little famil(ies).
Two days came and went, nothing.
Three and four days came and went-no nest.
I finally gave up and decided that they really did go to the barn or one of the other buildings.
As I was washing that particular window I happened to look UP and there it was
A perfect little home, NOT on the frame of the window, or above the frame of the window, but where we could watch several little families of Barn Swallows grow up this summer.
It seems that Barn Swallows raise about three families before they leave for the winter. So this should be fun for Terry and I and the grandchildren.
Well, time is quickly getting away from me.
Have a nice Monday!
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
Such a sweet story, you meanie shouting at birds (I laughed out loud!) My barn swallows are good and nest on the barn, there are two nests in the dairy parlour and oh they are so beautiful aren’t they! Now I am off to meet your friend.. i think i might like her blog!! morning! c
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Wow, thank you so much for your kind words and linking. I am looking forward to watching your barn swallow family grow too. We rarely see them down here by the buildings, although they come from neighboring farms if we are raking or baling hay. I love to watch them swooping around the tractor catching insects.
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I laughed at your scaring the birds away. They used to try to build nests in the peak of our stucco house. Yes… they made a huge mess. We would wash down their work just about every evening until they did go to the barn, or perhaps to a neighbor’s house! We love baby birds but not the mess they made on our house. We don’t seem to have as many of the barn swallows in our new location, but we have plenty of tree swallows. They have taken over several bluebird houses.
Congrats on the cutting. When we took the horses to the trainer we saw a few fields of hay and one of alfalfa that had been cut and were drying. They still had more growing and there was one field that looked like it had recently been planted. Scott overheard one fellow say that he had changed from growing potatoes to planting grass as the prices of hay were so high, he’d make more money that way.
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Hi Linda, i truly don’t blame you for not wanting the swallows to build their nest in or around the window and window frame/screen….. You did the right thing —and I’m glad they did find another place to build their home… You all will enjoy watching them and their little families!!!!!!
Be sure and check out my blog today. I’m feature our new birdie family!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
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I have a particularly obstinate pair of robins trying to build a nest on top of a porch light beside the kitchen door. Aside from the fact that it’s a fire hazard, it’s way too close to a door that is used on a daily basis…I’ve pulled down SIX partial nests in the last month. I’ve yelled. And stomped. And waved my arms at them….This morning, they were back again.
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I am always amazed at what birds can make a nest out of. No barn swallows here, but we do have several squirrels’ nests in our trees.
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That is so delightful. It’s like they understood what the grouchy lady said to them and accepted her apology.
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Glad to see the swallows came back. Maybe they’ll eat your wasps…
I’ll keep praying you get some rain, too. Weather is so funny when separated by a few miles, isn’t it?
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This is Linda, still on my mother’s computer. This is a wonderful story. I did enjoy your quest at moving the birds. I have had lots of mourning doves this year. Of course, I’m not home yet so I don’t know what is building around my yard. I’ll love keeping up with their progress. Thanks so much.
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I’m glad the birds weren’t so angry with you that they left your house for good. You should enjoy watching the babies as they hatch and grow.
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I so agree! Threecollie has a great blog and she is so good at writing, and of course I am lucky to have her as my sister-in-law too! We have barn swallows and I have to say that I love those birds but I have a barn they nest in that I really don’t mind that they nest in! Keeps them away from the house! I wish that I could send some of the rain out to you because I would if I could!
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Every Spring the swallows return to FarAwayFarm (my place) and I love it. They build their nests around the house and on the north side of the barn. They love my deck area (the bird seed is the draw) and when they are all out sailing it is truly a sight to behold. The mud is a price I pay to see them and that beautiful midnight blue and oragnie gold of their feathers. This was Another great post!
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Only you 😉
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Oh how sweet! I am so glad they decided to build in a new spot! You are really going to enjoy having them there!
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Hi! I’m just gettting caught up on my blog reading. I’ve enjoyed reading about your swallows. I have many here and they love to build on my front porch. What a big mess, but then I get to see their little ones grow up. They LOVE mosquitoes, so I let them be. I have about 6 nests around the house, on the house. None in the barn!! Go figure! I used to have an owl in the barn, so maybe that is why they won’t go down there. They are very tenacious little birds, so am not surprised that they forgave you and just built their nest a little ways away. Enjoy!
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