Seward, Alaska
Robin C alerted me to his discovery of very late activity at a VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW nest. “Nest” is a very generous description. Due to an apparent housing crisis mirroring the human issue, these desperate Swallows had made their cozy home (accessory dwelling unit?) above a sagging plastic white soffit screen under the eave of an apartment building. The gap allowed the parents to zip in with fast food deliveries and exit with the occasional fecal sac.
As I watched, the female seemed to be the predominant server. Initially, she landed and disappeared into the depths of the nest, babies cheeping excitedly. Then she poked her head out, leisurely taking stock of the scene, before launching over the edge.
Soon, however, one of the genius babies figured out that if it sat right inside the entrance, it could intercept ALL the food, begging eagerly with its yellow target wide open to receive.
The parents then took turns hovering awkwardly mid-air, jamming the meal into the waiting beak before executing a backwards free-fall dive to get more. These acrobatic maneuvers saved a lot of time. However, only one hungry baby got fed. I hoped that eventually the recently stuffed whiz kid would retire to take a nap and allow the next hungry sibling a chance to nab some fresh, tasty, insects.
Time is running short for these babies’ flight feathers to grow long enough to support them. It’d be so fun to watch them shoot over the edge of their unusual nest and sail out into the void, joining their harried parents as masters of the sky. Soon, soon!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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