Kerri

Our home is in a mixed woodland environment with some open areas, and a marshy pond area adjacent to it. It's the perfect habitat for the violet green swallow. Their preference of catching insects on the wing has certainly become a welcome activity for us (goodbye annoying flies, wasps and gnats!) and their aerial acrobatics are captivating. This is the second year we have been fortunate enough to have a family of violet green swallows nesting in one of our canned lights in the gable over our patio. The parents don't seem to be bothered by our presence and it has provided a great opportunity to observe their natural parenting behaviors. When getting ready to feed, a parent will circle, flying closer and closer to the nest each time, and softly chattering. The baby birds will respond louder and louder until the parent lands, feeds, and quickly flies off again. It's been difficult to catch the parent in focus but it's been a blast watching the babies grow!