house martins feel home in our patio

[Biloute]

I built this patio 10 years ago, with an awning that, until now, had only sheltered sparrows.

But this year, for the first time, a pair of swallows decided to build a nest in a corner under the awning. They are house martins, recognizable by their red throats.
It was a success, as their six perfectly healthy chicks fledged four days ago. The parents continue to feed them nearby. They also come from time to time to inspect the nest and show that it is theirs. It is likely that we will soon have another brood once the young of the first brood are able to feed themselves.

But that's not all ! Another pair must have observed the first pair's success and yesterday started building another nest in the opposite corner... In the meantime, I had installed a Wi-Fi camera, and we were able to observe them from our PC without disturbing them, although our comings and goings didn't seem to bother them at all ! Since I was wondering where they could find mud (there is no pond or river nearby), I set up a container in the nearby driveway. I mixed molehill soil with water in the container and scattered some dry grass around it. It only took them 10 minutes to seize the opportunity ! Obviously, a 14-meter round trip from the container to the nest is a jackpot ! Construction is now progressing incredibly quickly.

Swallows learn a lot by observing the successes of their fellow swallows; I wouldn't be surprised if the colony grows considerably in the future !

swallows.jpg

[RobertArthur]

Nice! In the Nièvre, several years ago downstairs to our caves.