If I Were A Bird

If I were a bird, I think I'd like to be a Barn Swallow.

Barn Swallows are one of my favorite birds for many reasons.  I don't know why I haven't written much about them before, except maybe - like good friends; I have taken them for granted.  So, to make up for that, today they are the stars of the blog.

In my flight of fantasy, here are my reasons for choosing to be a Barn Swallow.

1.  Appearance.  Though I think they are beautiful birds, they are probably not the most beautiful in many peoples' minds.  So, it's not just vanity to say 'appearance'.  I think Barn Swallows are unusual and neat-looking birds.  Their appearance has interesting appeal at first glance and at closer inspection.

Two swallows sitting close together on May 6th, 2015... showing they are a pair.

2. Flight.  They are masters of the air, swooping and turning this way and that.  I love to watch them... wouldn't it be wonderful to join them?  

Taking off - I'd have to be a better photographer than I am to get a good photo of them as they are flying about!

3.  Eating all day!  While they are up in the sky flying, they are actually 'working'... catching insects and eating them.  I've read that a swallow might fly up to 600 miles in a day in their home locale, eating their fill.  While that sounds good, it does have one drawback - I might choose to eat something other than bugs!  However, I guess if I was a Barn Swallow, that would be perfect!

This Barn Swallow was stuck in our garage and needed to be rescued.  Luckily, my husband and I had recently taken a mini-class about bird banding, so we knew how to hold a bird without hurting it.  In this photo, you can see how wide the bill of a swallow is, which is perfect for catching insects while in flight.

4. Living in a barn.  I have a very soft spot in my heart for barns, having grown up on a farm in south-eastern PA.  If I was a Barn Swallow, I'd love to find an old-fashioned dairy barn to build my nest and raise babies (preferably with Guernsey cows in it - this is my dream, so why not?).

5. Playing in the mud.  Since Barn Swallows build their nests primarily with mud, using their bills, it's a good thing I'm not squeamish about that kind of thing.  (See #4, growing up on a farm - I played in the mud plenty when I was a kid!)

6. Family life.  Once they've become a pair, the male and female Barn Swallows work together to build a nest (or repair one from a previous year), incubate the eggs, and feed their babies.  

7.  Singing.  They are pretty much always either singing or chittering.  That would suit me fine!

8.  Travel.  Now, this one is probably far-fetched because though they do migrate, I doubt the ones who live here would travel to Europe.  However, this is my fantasy and it's not out of the realm of possibility, because Barn Swallows have one of the largest range of any species. Besides the USA, they live across Europe and Asia and winter in southern Africa and India across to northern Australia!  During winter here, ours migrate to Central and South America.

These are our Barn Swallows last August 28th, the last day I saw them before they left to spend the winter who-knows-where (but, definitely somewhere there are insects to eat!)

9.  Winters in the tropics.  (No explanation needed!)

10. Migrate during the day.  Many birds migrate at night.  While Barn Swallows may sometimes fly at night, they typically migrate during the day.  I like that idea... why not see the countryside as you are going?  And, they eat along the way, too.

Those are my 10 reasons.  What bird would you choose to be if you could?

Now, here are a few more photos of our stars!

Here's another look at our rescued Barn Swallow.  My husband passed it to me and I gently released it.  Notice how one foot is clinging to my finger?  I had turned my hand so it was on its' back and then opened my fingers.  Birds aren't used to taking off from an on-their-back position, so I had a quick chance to look at it before turning it 'right-side up' and letting it fly away.

The life of barn swallows... spend hours flying and eating, then resting briefly on the wire.

This one looks kind of sleepy, doesn't it?  Afternoon nap anyone?

While sitting on the wire, they are also almost constantly preening so those important feathers stay in tip-top condition.

Preening can lead to some interesting photos.

Don't worry, it's okay!  But it does have a tiny feather stuck in its' bill.

Watching the adults feed the young ones is fun, too.
The babies watch for the parents to bring food...

and flutter their wings in anticipation!

However, sometimes it's a brother or sister nearby who get the bug.

Eventually everyone gets something to eat.

Soon these babies will be as graceful as their parents but right now they have a little way to go in the grace department.

 It's a neat fantasy to dream about being a bird!  I'm thankful though, just to have Barn Swallows living in our yard so I can be a little part of their life by watching!