Tree Swallows

I have never considered my blog to be a "birding blog" per se, and I try to write about various subjects and experiences. It seems lately that birds are the topic of all my posts. What can I say? It is April and next month is May. One of my birder friends thought the yearly calendar should go like this;- January, March, April, April, May, May, June, July, August, September, September, October. (I would prefer two Octobers but otherwise like the model)


Today my husband and I drove to Guelph Lake, about twenty minutes from home. This is such a short drive for great birding. It is the only local spot where one can find Bluebirds fairly easily as many bird houses have been erected in the fields around the man-made lake. But for each Bluebird, there are a dozen, or perhaps a hundred Tree Swallows. Bluebirds are as shy as Tree Swallows are gregarious. They swooped close to our heads as they chased each other noisily around the road and field.

"How's the house work going, Honey?"

I stood near the box where a pair of Tree Swallows was building a nest. I did not know which bird was the male, but could make assumptions based on their behaviour. One of the birds was working diligently on her the nest while he the other flew around inspecting the work or perching on top of the house. Wait a minute...click on the second picture to enlarge it. The bird on top of the nesting box is banded on the right leg. Here is the male so my initial assumptions were correct! (Of course I cannot project any of these observations and make similar assumptions about the behaviour of men...)


Here is some more blue, this time from Siberian Squill blossoms, to show that I am appreciating newly emerging flowers as well as newly arriving birds. These were blooming at our city's municipal gardens yesterday. What a wonderful time of year!