Devon SSSI nature reserve and eco lodges - Maggie's Blog
5 September
An update on the late swallows...
The swallow parents in the workshop are working overtime. Rain or shine, every few mintues they zoom through a small hole in the wall with flies for their late brood. Yes, definately five youngsters, and now out of the nest and waiting on the beam for their constant stream of food. It's a one way system - in through the missing brick, out through the window, both adults working tirelessly. Now it's the parent's I'm worrying about - they can't be putting on much weight for their long flight either.
And that's a lot of flies - to grow from fluffy flightless feebleness to teenagers, with just their yellow gape giving them away, in just 12 days. I'm not much of a fly fan myself, but I always tell myself no flies, no swallows, and I'm prepared to put up with them for the sake of these fabulous aerial acrobats.