The day, the swallows are leaving ...

Next stop maybe North Africa ....

The last few mornings I knew something is going to happen soon .... the swallows are leaving.

It is always an exciting day in spring - usually early/mid April when one of us spots the first swallow. 

It feels like greeting old friends or visitors: 'they are back - did you see the swallows'? Sure everybody was seeing that first swallow before anybody else. 

During the summer they keep very busy. In all three sheds they maintain their nests, Renovations going on first and then after a while you see that bit of little head and tail sticking out and you know they are hatching - great news!

To be honest I don't know, why they decide to rare their offsprings in our sheds, because the cats are a permanent thread to them. But we had years without cats, which seems to be like an open invitation for rats. 

Throughout the summer we develop a close relationship - the swallows and the two permanent human residents.We hear ( they are very chatty little birds ) and see them flying in and out and we have to make sure not to close them out of the shed over night. Even with poultry we have to take the risk that there is some window that far open that they can fly in and out comfortably.  There is some form of communication evident, because whenever the cats are near or they feel in danger they start attacking them and giving out to them in such a manner, that we become aware of it and check it out. Often we find the culprit high on a timber beam trying to 'fly' or just starring onto the nest, which surely cant be reached. The parent birds are usually flying around them in an attacking mood and with  a bit of imagination you can hear them shouting ' will you just get the fuck out of here' - excuse the language, Anton, our red young Ginger, tried to be very clever and took his chance to reach the nest over the open door. Once left opened after letting out the goats he got very near of their fragile muddy home-place. But once more the transfer of important information seemed to work, as I just found out in time and from that moment it was high priority to keep that door shut. One year there were to many youngsters in the nest and just before they had their first flying lessons, they seemed to pushed each other out. So we kept the ladder near and  had to check regularly a few to make sure we were faster then any predator or a goats-foot stepping on them. 

This year was a very productive season, as they had two rounds and rared so many young swallow like never before. 

my camera cant catch enough of the excitement

So today is the day - the summer is over and those precious visitors leave their oval shaped clay home at the shed walls and seem to reward me with an spectacular display of their flying skills. More and more swallows gather and the airshow takes off. It seems like they had chosen the Telephone wire between Pat's cottage and our home as a gathering point.

it seems like the swallow collection hot-spot

I have to admit that it is a touching moment when they all had fled their nest and are now ready to leave ( any comparison with two members of our family is pure accidental). 

Just while writing this blog I come to the conclusion that there are advantages by living a bit on the remote side. Especially when you find yourself standing in your yard, waving at the sky and shouting 'good bye - have a safe journey! Cant wait to see you next spring again.!'

Even though my neighbors wouldn't be to surprised by now anyway.

Look who is in the 'Good Bye Waving Delegation' - Anton and Lucy

So tell me, when are your swallows leaving?