While we away for a few weeks the swallows set up home in the outside verandah. They create an incredible mess - but what can you do?? The babies grow so quickly - they are already testing their wings.
Look at those little faces! We put up a piece of wood towards the roof in our log store hoping to encourage them to nest as so many barns have been turned into houses round here, but no takers, although they kept flying in and out of the garage looking for nesting places!
@photobird Hi Photo Bird. They are very picky aren't they? The places where they could live each year - they are the places they don't want!! Ours sound just as ungrateful as yours!! But, as you say, look at those little faces!! LOL. Cheers
@shilohmom Probably about 6 weeks. The babies stay around for a little while even after they can fly and have left their nest. It's fun watching them learn to fly! Cheers
@olivetreeann Hi Ann - they really are nice to watch - and I've cleaned up their mess (2 weeks worth) and put paper down now - they never were in much danger - we're both softies! Those poor parents work so hard! :)
@robz I can sell believe that. At Deakin Uni, where I used to work, there was an outside breezeway with I-beams under the roof. About a zillion birds used to perch there, build nests etc. A real health hazard to walk underneath. So the sides of the I-beams got plates of metal welded to them -> nowhere to perch.
@golftragic We are thinking of lining the ceiling etc to keep them out. They fly in and out so much that you can actually slightly smell them - bit worrying from a health perspective. :)
@psychographer Hi Lisa - they sort of look cute but grumpy with their beaks shut. Then Mum turns up and it becomes chaos with wide open mouths and lots of yelling!! Funny to watch.
