主播大秀

I have no idea if this was their first nesting season, it might well have been.

The fledgling swallows

Apparently breeding pairs usually go to the same nest year after year, but the first brood wasn't a success.

The only sight of any chicks was the tiny dead one unceremoniously dumped over the edge of the nest.

A month or so later, the second brood appeared.听 I only ever saw two chicks, but they were both very well fed.

The fledgling swallows and parent

The parents seemed to feed them once every two or three minutes throughout the day, and both survived at least to the fledging stage.

Once fledged, the adults and one fledgling returned regularly to the nest, but I never saw more then one fledgling at a time, so think one might have had an early encounter with next door's cat.

The fledgling swallows get ready to fly

Hopefully the parent's will return next year.

Rupert Bailey