We Have Squatters on the Premises

They're here.  We've got four baby barn swallows in a nest on our front porch who own two frantic parents  that are desperate for a little sleep, time to themselves and peace and quiet.

We've been watching the nest from construction to today for about four weeks now, from tiny eggs to the gaping maws you see in the picture.  And isn't the nest a beautiful thing to behold?

Carl has cleverly jury-rigged his camera with his computer, chairs, valuable antique table, wrench, twisties and other stuff to shoot the pictures you see, proving that sometimes the simplest of things make for the most significant moments in our lives.  It has been beautiful.

We have also learned a thing or two.  Barn swallows fly around as a pair during the day when the eggs are in the nest checking back on the eggs from time to time and swoop about when someone is too close to the eggs, i.e. on our porch.  They sleep with the eggs and later, with the babies, at night.

Also, when sitting on the eggs, (and you can't tell if it's the male or the female because they look just alike,) they stick their little bottoms over the edge of the nest to poop to keep things neat and tidy in there and as a result, make a mess on our porch.  (I do understand, however.  We were young parents once and remember how stressful the situation was.  We'll take care of it later.)

Also, common as they are, they are Federally protected.  You can knock the nest away before the eggs are laid and can clear it out after the babies are gone, but in between, expect the Federales to come and take you away if you mess with the little guys while they have habitation.

But who would want to?  They are the cutest things ever.  We feel kind of "chosen" this year, even though we haven't been able to sit on our front porch at the peril of getting our eyes pecked out.