The Barn Swallow Story (Success!!)

So, last summer I was car camping in the Rockies, staying at my favourite campground (RV unfriendly, perfect!). They have a couple of excellent cook shelters there, open on three sides with a pony wall to cut the wind. Most people don't use them, but I do; I prefer to cook at a distance from my tent because this is bear country.

Walking inside, I looked up and saw an impressive nest. It's hard to tell (cheap phone camera) but yes, that is Mrs. Barn Swallow's tail sticking out. She kept a close eye on me but was not moving from the nest. Obviously she was sitting on eggs.

I grew up with barn swallows everywhere. Now they are harder to find -- they seem to be in decline. They are tolerant of humans, to a point; but I moved operations to the other cook shelter to avoid disturbing her.

I also let the seasonal park staff know there was an active nest. They said they would put up a sign. Next two days, different staff, and no sign. The long weekend was coming up, and I didn't want some drunken yahoo trying to knock down the nest to impress girls with his idiocy.

So I got me a pen and a paper, and I made up my own little sign. It said: "Barn Swallow Nest. Please Do Not Disturb. Thanks!"

I noticed a few people coming up to the shelter, reading the sign, and turning away. Good. Next year, I will add some official looking caution tape and thumb tacks to my camping kit.

I didn't know if I succeeded, or if the barn swallows succeeded, but I liked to think I "struck a blow" as the phrase goes.

Epilogue:
Last week I did some "winter camping" (at a local hotel haha) and had a chance to walk through the now-closed campground. I had sort of forgotten about the nest until I walked into the cook shelter. Staff had moved the nearest picnic table outside. The nest was still up!

And there was evidence of a successful nest: poop under the nest, and a line of poop on either side of a 6x6 rafter -- indicating there were little swallow poopers hanging out in the shelter.

Yes! One more gang of little buddies to entertain me with their flying skills and thin out the mosquitoes! Made my day.

(Pardon my messy layout -- I haven't figured out how to place photos where I want them.)

I am not sure what kind of swallows we have though they are fun to watch how they soar through the sky..

I read sometime during my life that swallows return to the area they were born every year.

Anne Miller wrote:I read sometime during my life that swallows return to the area they were born every year.

That seemed to be the case with the tree swallows that would nest at my previous property. They had successful nests and returned every year (or maybe their progeny did, hard to know).