Barn Swallows 2014

Every year, a pair of Barn Swallows nests above my work area in the barn. This will be a journal of their activity. Many of the photos are poor, but it is a very difficult area to photograph because of poor quality of light, and I do not want to disturb them with artificial light set ups. Bounce flash is all that is used.

5/07/2014. Mama Swallow sitting beside her started nest.
5/11/2014. I love this one!
Yup, there she goes.
6/11/2014. Lot of mouth to feed.
6/15/2014. 3 out of the 4 heads.
6/23/2014 Two of the babies on a fence post.
6/23/2014. Not just my nest fledged today. There were more than 4 babies at once out there!

5/11/2014. Papa Swallow bringing some straw for the started nest
And here's where it goes.
Papa's turn to feed.
06/11/2014. Papa doing his part with the feeding.
6/18/2014. OK, kids, enough horsing around.
6/23/2014. All look right!

Adding to the nest
5/19/2014. Keeping Mama company on the long sit.
6/11/2014. Now you can see the heads above the nest when they get fed.
06/11/2014. Mama feeding, Papa waiting.
6/15/2014. Off for some more baby food.
6/23/2014. Another one on a different fencepost

5/11/2014. Another piece of straw.
6/17/2014. I think they just hatched here. Too small to see anything, but Mama is off the nest more.
06/11/2014. Not sure what his expression says,
6/18/2014. The little guys are starting to look like Swallows!
06/18/2014. I just caught this one. This is now a really fast process. Feed and go!
6/23/2014. Fourth one on a piece of fencing.
6/23/2014. They look lost, don't they? Not to worry, Mama & Papa were frantically flying around trying to keep track and feed them.

5/11/2014. And now some mud!
6/07/2014. Going to feed some of the little guys.
6/112014. Babies are visible above the top of the nest most of the time, now.
Mama still looks over them,
6/232014. Came out to the barn this morning to find this. Grabbed a quick shot and ran back to the house for my Big Gun.
6/23/2014. The End. (Not really, Mama is getting ready to start another brood)