In spring and summer, the environment around our summer house is a favourite place for birds. The air is filled with birdsong and birds perform impressive aerobatics. A family barn swallow (Hirundo Rustica) decided to build their nest on our house. The chosen places were not suitable for us as they spread a lot of dirt, so we removed the nest foundations. The third place was on one of the exterior lamps. Not ideal, but acceptable as it would be easy for us to clean the staircase below.
The nest building was intensive and fast and soon one of the swallows was incubating. We understood eventually that the eggs were hatched as the parents visited the nest after quick tours hunting for food in the surrounding. Shortly four widely open twittering beaks could be seen above the nest rim when the parents came close with some delicious food. The chickens grew fast and the nest soon became too small. These photographs were taken the day before the young swallows left the nest on their first flight.
