[Sean Ph'lib]

If anyone is interested, my swallows ( which nested in the nestbox in my porch) fledged today: four yougsters.

[Sive]

How lovely, Sean...I'm very envious! We put up a nest box in our porch this spring but no takers so far, although we have noticed swallows inspecting it! Maybe they'll use it next year! Do you use that porch a lot yourself? Do the swallows mind human activity?

[Sarah Evans]

They seem to tolerate us and share our sites, we have had them in our dutch barn now gone so the outdoor utility room was used last year and this year the old duck house. They can swoop in and out but great to live in harmony with them.


We did a blog on the birds within the garden centre and the house
http://thesecretgardencentre.blogspot.com/2009/06/place-for-birds.html

[Sean Ph'lib]

Yes Sive, we're in and out through that porch all day, including the dogs! The swallows just go about their business as if we weren't there. I suspended a branch from the ceiling by two cords, and the youngsters took their first flights from the box to the branch and back again. Now they're flying strongly, and during the day, when they're hunting, they swoop into the porch at break-neck speed and take rests on the perch. At night they all sit together in a row; you can stand right next to them and they take no notice.

[Sive]

Lucky you, Sean ! What a lovely description, you must feel very privileged that such little creatures trust you. They obviously have very good judgement!
I can only hope that we may be so lucky next year....

[Sean Ph'lib]

My swallows have began work on their second clutch - drawing in feathers to re-line their nest. My garden is alive with swallows now all day long, and the more the merrier!