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this morning the babies are still alive. so they must be getting fed or would have died in the heat yesterday.
amazing.
interesting the way god works in my life and i think i figured out the plan (in my weird thinkin mind).
when i found the babies alive that night when i just wanted to go to bed and rest, i couldn't figure out why god would add one more thing to my plate.
that nest could have fallen when i was gone; or at the least i could have ignored the urge to go out that night and in both cases the babies would have been dead when i found them and that would have been just a clean up and over with.
but as i said; every year i get great enjoyment out of watching the babies out my living room window.
of course this year with all that is going on i've been so busy i knew they were there, but haven't sat and watched them.
that night i decided to rest for a few days.
of course me staying at home and "resting" i just see all the things that need to be done; destiny needs grooming, the house needs a good cleaning, there are things outside that need to be done etc etc etc.
and of course on the day that i'm going to rest, jose calls and wants work so of course i had to be up and doing small things and showing him what to do.
all i wanted was rest and couldn't figure out why jose came and birds fell (whine, whine).
however, after jose left i realized that i could quit worrying about the work outside and getting the air conditioners set up made it so much more comfortable in the house that i could quit worrying about getting them in and now just enjoy some comfort if i really did rest. also, after he left i went and checked the birds again and they were still alive.
i found myself sitting in my chair and just watching them.
the dirty house no longer was on my mind.
destiny could wait until i get around to grooming her when i feel up to it.
i had antibiotics here and started taking them instead of running into town.
mom and angel would work things out.
i found myself just sitting in my chair for several hours, watching the birds in amazement, enjoying their antics and it brought me joy and peace.
"god works in mysterious ways!"

the parents came back after i was done and fluttered at the nest, but wouldn't land on it.
instead they landed on the perching wire they use on my porch (an extension cord i have for the dog waters in the winter). the mama sat on that wire and just scanned her head back and forth watching the yard for about an hour.
i guess finally she decided it was okay and returned to the nest and the feedings went on as usual.
i've always been amazed at how fast these birds lay eggs, hatch out, form feathers and fly. it's all done within about 3 to 4 weeks.
by yesterday evening i looked out and saw "escape" perched on the edge of the bucket flapping his wings;

he looks pretty good in this picture, but actually his feathers look fluffy and molty.
i watched hoping he wouldn't jump, but he just flapped and sat there for about an hour and finally went back inside the nest.
the other two still act like infant babies, snuggled down in the nest and not trying to do anything but be fed and sleep.
as "escape" was perched there, the parents kept coming and "hoovering" around the nest like they were trying to show him how flying is done.
the odd thing i've noticed for years, but wasn't sure as all the big ones look alike; is that i always have about 4 or more big birds hanging out here, but there is always only one nest.
yesterday the "two parents" were on the wire and i finally saw that a 3rd one came and fed the babies also. so i'm wondering if they are like "mearcats" and do a group effort raising babies. or do more than one pair share a nest and maybe that is why some seem to be more progressed and act older than others?
i'm going to have to look up barn swallows on the internet and see if i can find out my suspicions obviously.
i've left them alone today and have been busy and not watching alot until just now.
of course my curiosity got the best of me, and the parents weren't around so i just went out to take a quick peak to see how they were doing.
"escape" is gone
he's not dead on the ground from falling and i searched the yard to see if he had fallen and scooted off somewhere, but he's no where to be found.
do you think he has learned to fly?
if so i'll know after dark tonight if he's back in the nest. when they first learn to fly they always come home every night to the nest until they are proficient at it and then they come back at night and roost on the wire until they finally disappear.

i know i'm weird to be so fascinated by these creatures , but gotta have something to take my mind off the kaos of life .

i spoke too soon.
i looked out my window and saw this;

i figured one of the other babies had fallen out of the nest and obviously wasn't ready to fly yet.
so i went out and got the bucket down to return him to his nest.
the two other babies were still in the nest!!!!
it was "escape!"
lord knows where he was hiding as i checked everywhere for him, but obviously he hadn't gone far.
the parents must have known yesterday evening tho and thats why the one was flying low and landing on my porch.
i thought the weird bird looked too big to be "escape" but have now done some research and found that barn swallows are monogomous, but they can also be polygamous and and a young single male will be allowed in the parenting role also.
so that makes sense that i've seen more than just the mama and papa taking care of the babies.
knowing that "escape" isn't ready and needed to be returned to his nest until he can fly i went to grab him. he's a defiant little fellow as you can tell by the look on his face here;


so i grabbed him and put him in the bucket; which he immediatly jumped out of and took off across the porch.
we played this game 6 times until i made another hollow in the straw, stuck him in it, held my hand over him as i re-hung the bucket and then i watched.
so far so good.
he has settled down and hasn't tried to get out of the bucket yet and isn't even perching on the edge so i'm hoping that he's tuckered out from yesterdays adventure and has decided to rest for awhile and stay in his nest.
of course the parents returned from where ever they go (they must be close, even when hunting, and keeping an eye on the babies) and were very upset with me once again, but they've settled down and are staying close right now and going into the nest to do a head count i think.
the papa bird is getting very upset with me and whenever i go out there (even to take care of the yards) he's swooping me within inches of my face....maybe if he taught his kid to behave better i wouldn't have to be messin with things so much ).

i'm never gonna live that down am i?
friday "escape'' was back up on the edge of the bucket;


the other two kept bumping him from below and i was afraid he was going to fall out.
so i went out to take this picture and then reached up with my finger to give him a lil poke back into the nest.
he jumped out of the nest and soared over the front fence .
OH-MY!
so i went thru the house to the back door to go out and check that to make sure he hadn't landed in the middle of the road...as i walked out the back gate i was dive bombed by two very mad parents.
were they upset!!!!
as i tried to walk down the driveway toward the street the parents were on full attack dive bombing me and screaming at me.
OOPS .
ducking and covering my head from the assault i got to the street and looked around...and then i spotted him.
escape was in the corner of the neighbors feild by the street, but behind their fence.

i looked toward the neighbors house and they were out front getting their boat ready so i wasn't sure how it would go over with them if i started climbing over the fence as these neighbors are kinda stand offish of me ever since i pulled the gun on their dog and threatened to kill it the first time we met.
so i kinda just walked up their driveway a little thinking if i could just shoo "escape" toward the street going back toward my house then i could grab him and bring him back to his nest.
glancing over my shoulder and seeing the guy get in the truck to come my way i quickly shooeshed "escape" while the parents were now on full attack of my face.
"escape" shooeshed all right .
flying low over the feild and making a left straight towards the neighbors house (and truck) with the parents in hot pursuit while i watched in horror as the neighbor started pulling his truck and boat slowly forward.
flying only about a foot above the ground, "escape" got to the truck and gained enough altitude to go over the truck and then drop out of my sight.
then the neighbor slammed on his brakes as the two parents started attacking his front windsheild i'm sure wondering what the heck was going on that i'm in his driveway and two birds suddenly start attacking.
in the meantime, the neighbors mother in law (whom i've only met once on some other weird occasion that i don't remember why) came down the drive way in her car, rolled down her window, kinda stared at me and then said, ''can i help you."

i tried to explain that i'd lost my bird and that if she found a bird in their front yard would she please bring it back...but she just kinda stared at me (go figure ), so i started walking back to my house as she rolled up her window and drove away.
as i walked back to my house trying to convince myself that if "escape" could fly that far, he'll be okay and i'd just see if he came back to the nest that night.
as i got about halfway across the street, i glanced back at the neighbors house and the neighbor was starting to come down the driveway in his truck... then i was hit by two very angry, divebombing parents again.
as i tried to fend off the attack of the birds and walked towards my house the neighor stopped in the middle of the street and stared for a minute before driving off down the road.
obviously he wasn't going to ask any questions .
as i bolted back to my house for safety from the killer parent birds i wondered why people around here think i'm odd???
i came in to watch thru my window and as i looked out #2 baby bird was now up on the edge of the bucket flapping his little wings.
i decided i'd better leave well enough alone so i just watched for a long time to see if i could see "escape" across the road in the distance.
i couldn't.
but the parents kept going across the street so i figured they'd take care of him.
"escape" never returned that night...
but neither did the parents; other than to come back and feed the two babies left now and then.

baby #2 had now taken over "escape's" place on the bucket and i didn't go out as i didn't want to make the mistake i had made with "escape" (plus now if i went out i was attacked by very angry parents).
so i watched thru the window saturday morning at #2 perching precariously on the edge of the bucket, flapping his little wings in preparation for flight.
jerr was here.
jerr went out.
baby #2 flew away towards the neighbors house across the street .
the parents flew away with baby #2 as jerr stood and guiltily watched.
then the parents came back.
jerr learned what it was like to be attacked by angry parents and fled into the house .
then we watched out the window.
baby #3 got up on the edge of the bucket and started flapping his little wings.
late saturday afternoon i looked out the window again and #3 was gone.
unlike babies of previous years that learned to fly but would come back to the nest every night for a week or so, these babies have never returned.
so i feel the little guys were ready to fly and i figure they are doing great.
however, to this day if i walk out my front door the parents come from wherever they are and attack me .

The End (methinks)