[FrogInABlender]

I really LIKE your garden! It looks so relaxing and peaceful. I'd like to sit out there early in the morning with a cup of hot chocolate and a magazine. That's what I do in mine. Mine's not much, but it's on the secluded end of the house and there's nothing but a grown up field to the west. They've planted it in pines, so it'll soon be a forest instead of a field, and a shade garden instead of a sun garden, but it's nice to have someplace like that to fiddle with and relax in. I'd like to put in a fountain of some kind too. Yours looks really nice.

I've got barn swallows on my porch too. A brood of 6 have already hatched out and flown the nest. Here's a picture of them...

They were SO funny those last couple of days because only 5 of them would fit across the front of the nest and it was a rather tight fit at that. The runt got pushed to the back I guess and was a day later that the others in getting up the nerve to take to wing. But they're really amazing when they do because they really seem to know how to fly from the very first time. I was worried about them when we first moved in because of my cats, but they had nothing to worry about because the little buggers never hit the ground like so many other baby birds. They take off out of the nest like F18s and never look down. It's really cool.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well last year my cat did get the babies:(. There were only 2 and he got both, I think when they were taking thier first flight. I was really upset, the parents sat out there and called and called. It was so sad.

Once these have hatched, the cat isn't going out there thru the day. He's just going to have to stay in the house except at night. I'm hoping they don't take to flying at night.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL, boy they are crammed in there aren't they:)

One year in this same nest, there was a whole bunch like that. I happen to be sitting out there the day they took the plunge. It was so cool the parents sat out on the electric wire that crosses our yard and would call to them over and over, and swoop in and out. Finally one by one they took off. That night and for several after they would all come back to the nest, but they never all fit again:), some of them would land up sitting on the edge of the roof.

I don't know how any of them parents or babies get in the nest to begin with, it is built so close to the underside of the roof. They have to swoop down under the eave then in a short space go up and squeeze between the roof and the edge of the nest. It's amazing they can do it.

Becky