Steve Byland
Leaving The Nest
A little taste of Summer - a short video of a Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) leaving the nest for the first time. Once they leave, they don't return to the nest. You can hear the sharp chirps of the parents encouraging the baby to leave. Swallows don't get as much chance to practice as some other song birds that just fly a few yards to a nearby tree. These little guys take off and are expected to keep up.
Rule of thumb is that, once you see the toes on the edge of the hole, they're ready to go (or might get a push from behind).
I used up a lot of batteries waiting for this one to leave. The oblong hole is made especially for Swallows which tend to "hole hog" to get all of the food. The wider hole allows for two babies at a time and they tend to knock each other back into the nest, so more babies get a chance to eat. Tree Swallows often have 6 or more babies at a time.
© Steve Byland 2012 all rights reserved
Leaving The Nest
A little taste of Summer - a short video of a Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) leaving the nest for the first time. Once they leave, they don't return to the nest. You can hear the sharp chirps of the parents encouraging the baby to leave. Swallows don't get as much chance to practice as some other song birds that just fly a few yards to a nearby tree. These little guys take off and are expected to keep up.
Rule of thumb is that, once you see the toes on the edge of the hole, they're ready to go (or might get a push from behind).
I used up a lot of batteries waiting for this one to leave. The oblong hole is made especially for Swallows which tend to "hole hog" to get all of the food. The wider hole allows for two babies at a time and they tend to knock each other back into the nest, so more babies get a chance to eat. Tree Swallows often have 6 or more babies at a time.
© Steve Byland 2012 all rights reserved