Where'd They Go?

 click on the nest box to enlarge

It occurred to me a couple of days ago that I wasn't seeing the tree swallows swooping around the house and out back.  They’re fond of that location as this bird is a creature of the open country and prefers nesting sites that include water and plenty of insects.  That sure is descriptive of the seven acres of prairie that we burned the first week of May of this year – pond + grass + flowers for the pollinating insects + nest boxes = Tree swallows. 

The tree swallow is an early arrival in spring as their migration takes them to Mexico and the coastal United States.  Tree swallows typically raise one brood – although they may attempt at a second if the first nesting fails.  

With the popularity of bluebirds having all sorts of people placing nest boxes out these birds have parlayed this into a breeding opportunity.  For sure for us anyway – we maintain 60 nest boxes throughout the property and mostly get an assortment of cavity-nesting birds including tree swallows, house wrens and bluebirds.   

Getting back to where they vanished to – I asked Jill if she’s seen them lately.  Thinking about it she noted that she observed them congregating in a big flock just recently.  

Looks like they’ve vamoosed….