Barn Swallows Nesting: NARRATED

[@templesofthesouth]

This bird travels more than 8000 miles to mate and get a family and mostly it travels above the sea or ocean and it carry a small woodstick to take rest whenever it needs...

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

That's interesting. I didn't know it. Thanks for commenting.

[@Steven-ux8jv]

I'm a retired iowa farmer, these birds bring a highlight to my day. As i sit in my shop tinkering they fly in perch on a high cable and chatter away. The same pair has called my shop home for a little while. ( i call them whistle & click) Thier brood also has gotten to know me. I'll whistle at them & they'll chatter back 😊. This year they actually got closer then ever before mear feet away, it was fantastic to see them up close and for them to show that much trust in me. I look forward to them returning every year.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

That does sound wonderful, Steven. You could build a brood of friends one year after another that way. And by the way, check out my recent movie showing the Barn Swallows in Flight: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnO6pp-fdt2sprs

[@MrSlanderer]

I have a pair that have been nesting outside my house for years now. They used to dive at me when I first moved in. They eventually became used to seeing me every sunrise, when I come home from work. They now don't fly around as much when I get home (and have entirely stopped swooping down and making alarm calls), and will just perch on my electric meter box as I pass by. I've seen them recently with at least one fledgling, so they're still thriving.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I envy you having them on your property, even though they're messy. As it happens I just put up a movie yesterday showing them in flight and explaining why they're the most agile swallow on the continent. You might want to check it out.

[@AllusernamesgoneFUCK]

A very talkative barn swallow has been hanging out on my balcony for the last few days, we stare at eachother through the glass sliding door 😂

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Are you sure he isn't staring at his own beautiful reflection?

[@kaushalshrestha9487]

Probably asking for your permission to live at your house 😂

[@AllusernamesgoneFUCK]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I did until he started landing while i was sitting outside. He went to fly north a few weeks ago with his friends and family!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I am sure you miss him. 😢

[@GRM42192]

You're a fucking idiot for believing that's nature because guess what? more and more will come ready to overrule your yard and destroy your property, good luck to think that's worth it look at lol.

[@officialpixelhaven]

I’ve got a family of them that helped themselves to my porch over a year ago. They’re back this year with a new nest in my door wreath. They just hatched yesterday or the day before. They’re very cute.

[@martinhorvat7654]

My home always has plenty of swallows. Just this morning there were about 20 flying in my backyard. I just love hearing then singing in the morning.

[@johnwesley5119]

I started watching barn swallows last year. I saw where one barn swallow family lived. This year I see where four families live. I even watch them hunting insects. They look like they have a lot of fun when they fly.

[@GradyElla]

Just came in from mowing. We have a small hobby farm in Upstate NY. I mow about 4 acres that we use as a lawn and we hay off the rest so we have a nice mix of property. Our barn has been home from everything from a feral cat colony to Mourning Doves, Bald Faced Hornets and of course Barn Swallows. Yes they do nest in the barn and yes they do tend to decorate whatever is below the nest! And once again, as in a hundred times before, as I was mowing, they were sweeping through the air all around me. I think it's part territorial but I also think the act of mowing sends insects up into the air and these birds are feeding on them. This is the first time I have actually sat down and done any internet searches for them. Interesting to see my experiences with them are not unique.

[@billwyatt2449]

We had a nest built on our front porch this past spring. We are thrilled to share our home with them. I love to step out in the morning with a cup of coffee as they perform their areal artistry all around me. Cleaning up the porch is a small price to pay. We placed a small water fountain near their nest and they love it.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Can I come visit? Kidding, of course, but I do envy you having them right there for your morning cup of coffee. I'd consider the cleanup a fair price to pay for the privilege.

[@teasy1944]

Love barn swallows!! They are beautiful birds!

[@theot6950]

I hate them. They are aggressive.

[@Navy_realawesomness]

@@theot6950 I don’t agree

[@Navy_realawesomness]

They are amazing

[@uncleardistress]

Looked all over to find good info on these little guys. Glad I found it here. Well done. Great shots of the birds, and excellent narration made the video fun to watch. Thanks for the quick lesson on Barn Swallows!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Aww, that's a really nice compliment to receive. Thanks. I've got a couple hundred films up. Anything else you want to learn about? Birds, I mean.

[@ericsaur9791]

Have had a country property for a decade. But this year and last they have come to make me smile. Watching them plan thier nests, swoop and chirp. Absolutely love them:).

[@rinne_itsme]

A male swallow made a nest INSIDE of my room. He seems quite smart though, for when i showed displeasure when he 💩 on my desk and any other places except the papers i had laid down for him to 💩, he seemed to understand it. It has been over a year since he first came and to this day he rarely 💩 on random places except on the papers. He had brought a female about 6 months ago and both of them are quite adorable. The 'couple' had 5 children up until now.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Now that’s a new one on me! How does he get into your room and back out?

[@rinne_itsme]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I always open my windows at about 5 in the morning and shut them in 6 in the evening. One day, when I returned home from school, he was there, sitting on a bulb, inspecting the room. He flew out as soon as I came in and every day ( for about a week) he was always on the bulb when I returned home until one day he brought some wet mud while I was studying and he started building his nest on the bulb. I was surprised but after a month or so, he seemed like he got comfortable around me and started sleeping in the room at night and then flying out in the morning. ( He used to sing whenever he wanted to go out and if I was not awake, he would start flying around in the room, making all sorts of noise until I wake up and open the window for him) He doesn't like rain though for he would come in at the slightest shower. (The following are not important but they are quite memorable to me) It was about 8 months ago, I was preparing for my exams and that particular night I was staying up very late. The male swallow never did this but on that day, he was awake the whole night, staying near my study table, watching me study. I went to bed at about 1 in the morning and as I turned the night lamp on, he flew to his nest, preparing to sleep. I don't know why but I found his actions to be very cute

[@smithsmithman]

@@rinne_itsme this is wild. can you give us an update? it's been 9 months. are you still friends with this swallow?

[@rinne_itsme]

@@smithsmithman Yes, he brought in a new female 4 months ago. Yesterday, a chick hatched. It would be his 3rd batch of offsprings up until now ☺️

[@SimplyGobsmacked]

Love to watch them fly, but they are soooo hard to discourage, I was glad to hear you acknowledge what a mess they can be - even for those that love them. Several have taken a liking to our covered patio and it kind of broke my heart to hear they re-use their nests, because when we came back we knocked them down and cleaned up the mess. They've tried several times to build them back. Problem is, it's so rainy here that if we don't use the patio for a few days, they take advantage of the privacy to rebuild. I just found a great, life-like statue of a falcon at the local thrift shop for 2 pounds. It was probably someone's beloved Mother's Day gift 30 years ago, but now I'm hoping it will be the solution to my barn swallow problem.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Let me know if the falcon works. You're not the first to bemoan to me about trying to get rid of their nests.

[@filodipicori]

Excellent memories as well. We have a colony nesting in our company's car wash bay. They will return to the same nests. If the nests are knocked down in the interim, they'll rebuild on the same exact fixtures, multiple times if you try knocking down the nest-in-progress. They also remember faces, and will dive-bomb humans they recognize as a threat, even years later.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Fascinating! Crows do the same thing, but I didn't know that Barn Swallows would recognize faces and dive bomb.

[@johnni221]

They are really beautiful! I love them.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

With that sentiment in mind, I'd like to recommend a compilation I recently posted of three swallow movies. It doesn't include the Barn Swallows (my favorite) but Part Two of the series, due to be published a week from this Friday, if I remember right, does include this footage. Here's the link to Part One:

[@annelentur]

In my country Croatia, Europe we have only love for them, people here rejoice and put them in songs and ancient tales as they are sign of spring and life. They teach us in school about swallow and importance so from childhood we adore them ( not only them). Possibly as we are old country with a strong and ancient folklore and animals birds especially is among beloved, we are still conected with natural things than some parts of the world where we are not indigenous. Non offence to those country but when you are told from mum, dad, grandparents...and so are they you have one special conection with your surroundings. I read your reply that you do not hate them but saying what others saying but nevertheless its so surprising to know that 5 minutes of extra cleaning is a reason to hate beautiful creatures as swallow. We humans are so difficult species. And we dont even know how wonderful this blue green planet is.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I don't know much about Croatia, but now that I've read your description of how much your culture appreciates and loves nature, especially Barn Swallows, I have learned something important about your country.

[@kristiwetsel9531]

Our barn swallows have been coming back so long they will land right near us looking for treats lol

[@beastinthesky6774]

Very neat, I am able to enjoy them in my front yard, I wonder where they could be living. Very graceful. I often see them become extremely lively after a summer rain shower, dipping and swirling through the air almost frantically, singing the whole time. Charming little birds.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

What a beautiful and accurate description of their flight, "dipping and swirling through the air almost frantically, singiong the whole time". I envy you the opportunity to watch them every day. I have to drive some distance from home for that pleasure.

[@Miyavisgirl1540]

We had two barn swallow families living on our front porch. Even had one female lay a second set of eggs!

[@sunshine9016]

Your comment of "they are not tidy tenants" is so true. I have these "tenants" in a corner of my garage overhang. They are definitely cute but Oh! so messy. Bearing in mind someone's comment that they can recognize people and take unkindly to ill-treatment I speak softly to them every morning but when I see them trying to build a 2nd nest next to the first one I let them know clearly that this is a single house area. So far we're getting along nicely but it takes diligent daily cleaning of the mess and clearing of any new attempts by them to build further afield. Every time I open my garage door they fly in to check that area too ha!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Just remember that I envy you your tenants despite the mess they make. And in fact, I was working on my next movie when I saw notice of your comment. The movie I'll post next Friday is about why Barn Swallows are more agile flyers than other swallows. I hope you'll check it out a week from now.

[@gerardvoughnfaust4167]

This birds is so versatile that it has different flying technique. It is tiny but it fly fast and stable. it can just glide like a seagull, or thrust like a dove. It also has the ability to fly slow without stalling.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

See now, where were you when I was writing the script for this movie. I'd have used your information if I'd had it. 😉

[@joshbolt9654]

This was an awesome video! I've enjoyed watching these birds in southwest PA and northern Ohio for most of my life. I love how barn swallows skim across the water and the flicking sounds they make with their wings!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Anytime I see a Barn Swallow, I'm gonna be smiling. They just give my spirits a little lift.

[@chrisfit]

We have are lucky enough to have a pair on our porch. It was such a great teaching tool for our 5 and 8 year olds. Ours are mostly chill. We leave eggshells out for them. The poop washes away with the water hose.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Your comment brought a smile. I sure do like the idea of kids that age learning to love those birds. Are you aware that I also put up a video about the agile flight of Barn Swallows? (kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnO6pp-fdt2sprssi=dgD-1oCb1gYZdlfM) And a week ago I posted one about swallow eyesight: it's like a hawk's eyesight rather than a songbird's. (kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKCkaWl-h6mSi9Esi=vNa1towIYvCXNjyZ) I hope I don't sound like I"m assigning homework or something, but I just can't get enough of those swallows--I'm working on another movie now about their flight--and in case you'd like your kids to know more, I wanted to let you know about those films.

[@briangblack]

We love our little family that lives under our back porch. It is like a right of passage every spring when they return and sadly every fall when they depart. Not to mention the yard has been noticeably lighter in bugs!! We love them...not sure how they feel about us but we pretend when they swoop around close it is just because they want to say Hi! 😀

[@Chilllaxxinn]

I have a couple of barn swallows loitering around in my garage, been trying to get them out, and I can't find a nest anywhere, so hopefully there isn't one. But man these birds will fly and divebomb inches away from you, and you can get really close to them when they're perched. Will also try to swoop in under my garage door when I attempt to close it. Crazy how comfortable these wild birds are with humans

[@JavierMartinez-qx5zs]

I've had similar experiences as well, like I had to hire someone to mow my lawn cause these birds were trying to hit me or something idk

[@hughjazz227]

I used a mix of vinegar and sriracha seasoning. Reapply every few days. No more problems😁

[@peterdel3307]

hello dear friend ve your channel these birds are beautiful love the fork tail they do sweep pretty low loved the filming great close ups totally enjoyed BIG LIKE

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Peter, I almost hated to publish this movie, because now I don't have a reason to stand around watching the Barn Swallows swoop and zigzag past me. They are so beautiful. I'm glad, though, that I could show you these beguiling creatures.

[@edwardfantasia3246]

Waiting for my swallows to come back. They’ve been using the same nest in my horse barn for the past 10-12 years. Nest was not built in a corner but on the flat surface of a ceiling joist which had a nail sticking out about 3.inches . They built their nest using the nail as a building foundation. They raise two clutches of eggs every year with the first fledglings helping their parents feed the second. They are great migrators which should have been touched upon in this. There are towns in Mexico that celebrate the swallows return to spend the winter

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You offered me two new bits of info, Edward: that they first offspring help raise the second brood and that towns in Mexico celebrate the swallows returning. I have heard of the swallows of Capistrano. Same thing?

[@edwardfantasia3246]

Jo Alwood I do believe that it is along the same lines as the swallows returning to Capistrano. I remember watching something about the small village in Mexico that decorated their town as if for a parade, waiting for the swallows to return. They really went all out!!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You gotta appreciate their enthusiasm for nature.

[@Synsayshunal]

Wonderful narration....such a pleasure to listen to.

[@joshuaehrhardt5284]

I have a few that make use of the security light in my backyard here in Hooker, Oklahoma. Their favorite time to feed Is from 4am-8am, and around 7pm well into the night when bugs are thickest. I try to greet them every morning when I fill the bird baths, they seem to like it, and don't get defensive of me at all. They are more shy, and keep their distance. The closest I've gotten is about 18 feet to get some pictures. I sure love hearing them bring in the morning. Thank you for your video to provide some details I was curious about!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I wish I had your opportunities to watch these aerial acrobats. We live in the suburbs, so I can't watch them on a daily basis. I enjoyed hearing about how they use the security light.

[@randomvids5883]

Wow that is cool. They are so crafty when building nests!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, they're clever and oh so patient.

[@AnxiousGary]

So lovely! Thank you!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I appreciate the compliment. I recently bought a camera that does super slomo. Eventually I'll use it to film swallows, but right now I'm using it to do dragonflies and hummingbirds fighting each other. (Dragonflies will be up in th next week or so. Stay tuned.)

[@isaiahflores8443]

Omg I can’t believe I haven’t seen this, I love Barn Swallows!!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well, of course you do, Isaiah! Who could dislike Barn Swallows? 😉

[@joeygunzilla6878]

Barn swallows = vicious mini pterodactyls! 🤣 But I do really love watching the ones on my property. I have many different species.. blue Jays, Cardinals, vultures, hawks, owls, Robbins.. But those little TERRORS are my favorite. They are the most "interactive" out of the bunch 🙂 and they nest yearly about 3 feet from my front door. Thank you for the video it was informative and entertaining. Take care ✌️😎

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

it's fun to hear from someone who loves those vicious mini-pterodactyls. We don't get them on our property, more's the pity. But I did love driving to a spot where I could watch them and film them. And I'm glad you liked what I had to say.

[@cdb989]

I watched these birds build there nest in my carport it’s only one nest so I don’t mind. Love watching them fly the way they dart around.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I'm jealous, would love for them to build in our carport. Enjoy.

[@jackdooley8732]

Well , I would prefer the Barn Swallow to insects. If the swoop close to you they are simply trying to scare you away from their young as any parent would. As to their poop, it is the perfect fertilizer . I think they are a beautiful bird. They would put any fighter pilot to shame.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I would gladly put up with their poop for a chance to watch them flying daily. (But in the film, I was expressing the attitudes of most people.) As for putting fighter pilots to shame, no doubt about it. Fighter pilots might be reincarnated Barn Swallows.

[@TheRealPapaChico]

At the farm I work at we have so many in all the barns. My boss loves them and a baby landed on the back of one of her horses and stayed there in the stall on his back for an hour or so while the horse ate. The horse was whipping his tail at the baby Barney. But the baby was out of reach. Ohh flying lessons lol

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Love your account of it.

[@rodrigezslickepitt6580]

You ma'am are just the bright voice I need when having a hard time going to sleep.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Funny thing you should mention that because another viewer told me that he was falling asleep to my movies that night. And I take both of you in the spirit you meant it, that my commentary is soothing. Thanks for telling me so.

[@AnsariAli-ux1fu]

MashaAllah, V.nice & Beautiful, Good job, Thanks for Video.. Allah Bless You, Love From Kuwait.. 🌹🇰🇼🌹🙏 الکویت ۔۔۔۔

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thank you for writing to me. I'm glad to hear that you appreciated the video.

[@mynaturewellness]

Perfect video! They are my favorite and I learned so much from this clip!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Hearing from my viewers and responding to their comments is a pleasure. Unfortunately I must forgo answering comments for awhile because the rotator cuff tear in my left arm is healing slowly, and I just learned that I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my right arm. I seem to have a body made out of cheap spare parts. So I won’t be answering comments before the beginning of August, if then. But if there’s something you’d like to tell me, please do so. I’ll be interested in what you have to say. It’s just that you’ll have to guess at what I would have answered. (I’ll be pasting this answer to every comment I get for the next few weeks.)

[@mynaturewellness]

Take care ♥️ prayers for a swift recovery

[@kmeccat]

LOVE my barn swallows! They are the dolphins of the air!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well said! I'd have called them dolphins of the air in the video if I had thought of it.

[@Chief176]

They have made my porch look like a bird's latrine. Hose it off one day, and by the next day it looks the same. I had a huge rat snake that used to help keep the swallow population down, but I haven't seen him in a few years. I sure wish he would come back and visit!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I got such a kick out of your comment that I read it to my husband, who enjoyed it as much as I did. Sorry to be laughing at something you don't consider a laughing matter, but maybe we're just grateful not to be dealing with a bird latrine on our porch.

[@drbobrd]

Thanks for the information! I have a barn swallow nest on my porch. Love the birds but I have to clean the mess every day. The price you have to pay I guess

[@edwardfantasia3246]

One showed up today!!!! Made my day!! I think I read that the male comes back to the nest first

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

👏😄

[@TheRewildlife]

Beautiful! I have been filming them this year also and will have a video soon

[@claytonthomas9479]

Thank you for the video I was telling my mom they’d reuse the nest but our lands person cleans them out yearly. This year it’ll be left for the next spring!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks for telling me about it, Clayton. I like knowing that my movies have some practical application.

[@jsmcguireIII]

Love these guys and can only manage to photograph them when alighted on a mud source or hunkered down in their nests. You forgot to mention their other significant benefit to humans - they consume tons of mosquitos.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I hear you about trying to get a shot of them flying. It's like trying to film a firefly. ... Or harder. You're right; I should have mentioned the mosquitoes.

[@donnawadsworth-brown6351]

So much research and insight packed into these videos, Jo. I appreciate your creative approach to exploring the world of these creatures.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Donna, it's been a month since I posted. That's partly because we were in Colorado for awhile but also because I had an even harder time than usual getting the script for this one to gel. I would work on it for 20-30 minutes, throw up my hands in disgust, and walk off. I know you know that feeling. And it was all the more maddening because these swallows warm my heart every time I see them, and I had to do them justice. How many songs have you abandoned over such writer's block? I'd have abandoned this one except that I had too much good footage to waste.I finally got the script to the point where at least I wasn't embarrassed to put it up. I tell you all this because, as a writer, you're a kindred sufferer. So. Speaking of love/hate, I love/hate writing! I can hardly imagine your kind of writing: you have the same difficulties--plus the need to get the piece to rhyme and scan. (Now that I've bitched all I want to 😬, let me thank you for the compliments.)

[@donnawadsworth-brown6351]

Someone once said, "I hate writing. It's the having written that I love." Stay with it, Jo. Your are giving voice to some beautiful song birds.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, that was Larry Marsh--and he nailed it. I will stay with it. Thanks for the encouragement.

[@garyrobinson8665]

I saw these birds again today. I'm sure they were swallows but couldn't see any red on them. They were so fast I could be wrong. Such beautiful birds. I've been looking forward to your video. Great footage and interesting narration.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

So often when I see swallows in flight, they're too fast for me to identify the species. With Barn Swallows, you might catch a glimpse of the forked tail or even the string of pearls on the tail. If you see them swooping low over a field, the chances are good that they're Barn Swallows. It's nice to hear that you've been waiting for my next video, Gary. We've been on vacation, so there was a four week hiatus in my postings. That won't happen again any time soon. I'll have another one up in a week or so.

[@garyrobinson8665]

Jo Alwood I could definitely see a forked tail. Your footage is great.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Ah, well then, you know what you saw! Pretty cool, huh, to know enough to identify the bird even without a close look?

[@2friendstoking]

My favorite little birds. I love how they follow me when I'm mowing at work, swooping down feet away from me to eat all the yummy bugs I stir up with the mower

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I've watched Barn Swallows do that so I understand why they'd be your favorite birds.

[@bensevrywere]

I saw one strafe a grasshopper that was inbound for my face, we were buddies from there

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@bensevrywere 😅

[@mikecrook969]

We had 4 babies take their first flight today! They are so amazing and bring me a lot of joy. This is the third season they have returned to my front patio. Even tho we use the front door they don’t seem to mind us all that much. They are messy but a pressure washer takes care of it quickly after they have departed for the fall. I feel bad removing the nest in the fall/winter and I want them to return so should I leave it alone? Are they more likely to choose the same place if the nest is still intact? Thank you for the informative video! I now know much more about my friends!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I envy you having barn swallows on your property. I’ve been driving 25 minutes each way to film them again lately, and I’ll post a new movie next Friday the 30th about what makes them such exquisite flyers. As you well know, they are superb aerialists, so erratic in flight, capturing them on film is a challenge. Now you have the pleasure of watching not only the parents, but also the fledglings in flight. Enjoy!

[@kiyakisses8438]

Thank you so much for sharing. I have a barn swallow family currently living on my back porch and everything you explained makes perfect sense. I change out paper under the nest daily and you're right... they act like they own the place lol 😆

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Enjoy your little miscreants. I wish I had the privilege.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Right. Of course. And you do nothing to disillusion them, I’m sure.

[@Burps___]

They will be permanent tenants

[@atlasnetwork7855]

We've got them nesting in our corridor. I call them the luftwaffe. They've done a fantastic job of fertilising the corridor floor. But that's okay, it's concrete.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Haha. I enjoyed your comment so much I read it to my husband. Happy guano.

[@nataliaf8517]

Love them! I have a nest in my porche, I saw 6 little babies grow this past days, mom and dad working so hard to feed them going back and forth catching dragonflies (their favorites) babies left yesterday I cried a little lol... thought I wasn’t gonna see them again but they all came back tonight and are sleeping all over the porche I’m so happy I guess I’m a good host hehehe. yeah they’re messy tenants but i don’t care my porche will always be there for them.🥰

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Hearing from my viewers and responding to their comments is a pleasure. Unfortunately I must forgo answering comments for awhile because the rotator cuff tear in my left arm is healing slowly, and I just learned that I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my right arm. I seem to have a body made out of spare parts- made on the cheap in China. So I won’t be answering comments before the beginning of August, if then. But if there’s something you’d like to tell me, please do so. I’ll be interested in what you have to say. It’s just that you’ll have to guess at what I would have answered. (I’ll be pasting this answer to every comment I get for the next few weeks.)

[@InfallibleBible]

I'm dive bombed every time I step outside. Even on the other end of the porch where they are building best... gets very aggravating. I put on shades and a hat and so far have not been touched. But I'm really ready for them to leave, lol...

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

🥴 Hearing from my viewers and responding to their comments is a pleasure. Unfortunately I must forgo answering comments for awhile because the rotator cuff tear in my left arm is healing slowly, and I just learned that I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my right arm. I seem to have a body made out of spare parts. So I won’t be answering comments before the beginning of August, if then. But if there’s something you’d like to tell me, please do so. I’ll be interested in what you have to say. It’s just that you’ll have to guess at what I would have answered. (I’ll be pasting this answer to every comment I get for the next few weeks.)

[@PlayStore-ev4sm]

I love this bird. They love to make their nest at my home. But I never have seen this bird eating something

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I think we have an extraordinary yard and woods full of birds, but we have never had and will never have Barn Swallows. I envy you that. They're gorgeous! They eat insects on the wing, Anytime you see them flying back and forth, they're probably eating.

[@literarypotatogoblin]

They're building a nest on our porch right now. I love birds, so part of me wants to leave them be, but my husband isn't excited about the mess LOL

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yeah, like I said, we landlords have a love/hate relationship with them.

[@littleBIGrobots]

Great video, Jo! You sound like someone who is a biologist. :) My neighbor has a nest of these in his porch area and cleans the poo up simply because of how pretty and cool these birds are. We were outside the other night and 4 or 5 of them were all flying in and around the nest ... seemed like the babies were practicing flying maybe? I love watching them eat bugs in mid-air.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Biologist? Nah, I'm just a retired English teacher willing to do some research on the internet. But thank you for the compliment. Oh, how I'd love to have a nest of Barn Swallows at our house. I can imagine the fun of watching several of them catching bugs on the fly. They make other birds look like pedestrians.

[@littleBIGrobots]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME well, either way, biologist or not, you make fun videos! I'm going to try and take some footage of my neighbor's swallows this weekend.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@littleBIGrobots I aim to make fun videos, so it's good to hear I succeeded. Thanks. As for filming the swallows, best of luck. Filming them at the nest or perched nearby should be fairly easy. Filming them on the fly is like ... the opposite of that. Now that I think about it, I haven't filmed a swallow in flight for several years, but I've bought two camcorders that do super slomo. I need tp see if I can capture some of their flight at240fps. I'm glad you planted the idea.

[@eleonoradjurdjic420]

Thank you Jo! I love your videos!!!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're welcome, Eleonora. I'll bet that many of my movies show birds you don't get where you live--which is, I'm guessing, somewhere in Europe. But at least Barn Swallows are a bird you might see, no matter where you live.

[@andrewpier1308]

Beautiful bird...

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes. The iridescent blue against soft cinnamon and the long tapered wings are beautiful.

[@benjamindover7399]

I live in Northern Poland and I too, have a love hate relationship with this bird. I hate the mess, but I would never take down a nest. My house is covered with them.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I don't envy you such a mess, of course, but I certainly envy you the chance to watch these beauties all the time. Did you know that I just posted a week ago a movie explaining why they are the most acrobatic swallows?

[@sorayadz764]

سيدتي من فضلك أنثى السنونو ماتت هل الذكر يجلب أنثى أخرى جاوبني أرجوك

[@JasonReilich]

Barn swallows remind me of fighter jets like the F-22 Raptor

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, only the Barn Swallows are better--not as noisy and arguably quicker at evasive action. You know, I've done another movie about them, about the fact that they're the most agile of swallows. It's got some fun info about how important their forked tails are. If you'd like to check it out, here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnO6pp-fdt2sprssi=NvExDH0GIFIThG0e

[@Friskee62]

Cool background music. Everything you do seems to be COOL...

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh yeah, Thomas, that music makes my shoulders start moving to the beat. As for "everything" I do being cool, that's a cool compliment. Thank you.

[@lionheart.5983]

Came here after i found a mud nest at my porch. Thinking of whether to get rid of it or let them stay

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Have you decided? Of course I'd urge you to let them stay--but then I don't have to deal with the mess they make.

[@lionheart.5983]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME about 2 hrs ago, destroyed the nest already, picked up the mess, cleaned up around some tiny bits of mud all over. It was hectic. Sorry birds not sorry

[@никита-север]

Love this birds❤❤❤

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, they're wonderful. You might also like this movie, which shows them in flight: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnO6pp-fdt2sprs

[@d6678]

I have lived in my apartment for over 14 years. I have a generational barn swallow nest. I knock it down and clean the bird poop off my balcony every year, and every year they move back in. From my understanding it is the exact same family, whether parents or new children. They are very unafraid of humans, and you can't get rid of them. I just let them nest for the season, and then clean up the stack of poo they left behind.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Like I said, it’s a love/hate relationship we have with them - I gotta say that yours sounds more like just a hate relationship.

[@sebbym4066]

I have a swallow nest in my patio on a wall sprickiler im not sure if they will damage it or if the sprikelr goes off it will hurt their nest im not sure what to do any advice ?

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I'd advise you if I knew anything about it, but I don't. 🤷‍♀️

[@birbfan7683]

i have one at home, for some reason, he's not so wild, 2 years ago we named him Ash, then well, he slowly got used to us, then we're here today but we can't touch him because he gets very mad when something gets close to him.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Wonderful… And then strange. I have no idea what’s going on.

[@Warpath1337]

They are adorable.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You’ll get no argument from me on that point!

[@swarook927]

Thanks this was very informative. Should I make any attempts to clean a swallows nest at any point or leave it alone entirely? I clean the droppings, cause its over my porch lol, but thats not a problem I dont mind. I wanna make the porch as hospitable to them as I can. Suggestions on feed?

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I think your best bet is to just let them be. They remove the babies’ feces from the nest themselves. The babies excrete a clear sac made of mucus that is strong enough for a bird to pick it up in her beak without puncturing it and carry it away. The parents are faithful about doing that, not only for sanitary reasons but so that the smell won’t attract predators. So the nest itself should be fairly clean. After all, barn swallows have been building such nests for millions of years and reusing them, so they must be clean enough. As for food, they want bugs - probably not much you can do to provide more live bugs flying around for them to catch on the wing. You’ve already provided them with a great place to build a nest so now it’s time to sit back and enjoy them.

[@swarook927]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Thanks! I was wondering how the babies were pooping over the edge LOL. Ill just keep the floor below them clean and maybe add a small light in the yard so it attracts more bugs at night.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@swarook927 I kind of doubt that they hunt at night, but it couldn’t try to try the light. The nestlings of some species actually do back up to the edge of the nest and poop over the edge. I don’t know whether barn swallows are in that category.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@swarook927 Actually the nestlings of some species do exactly what you said: back up to the edge of the nest and poop overboard. But I don't know which way Barn Swallow babies do it. Maybe one of these times you'll see the parents carry off a fecal sac or else see the nestlings poop over the side. Let me know if you do.

[@hsingh8408]

I found one today Its tummy isn't orange but white. It doesn't seem injured but it isn't flying And it is trying to rest its neck on one side And just want to rest. What should I do? I tried to give it housefly to eat but it's not opening its beak I am from India

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I wish I could offer you some useful advice, but there’s probably nothing more you can do is my guess.

[@lesliehilesgardener6959]

The privilege of a family above my doorway a miracle aimed to observe their start to finish in just 8 weeks from start of nest to family gathering to fledgling of 6 added to the skies

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Your description is like a short poem.

[@gamking7987]

do you have the link for George's Essay on barn swallows?

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Since you mentioned it, I googled it and gave it a quick read. It's a pleasure to hear from another admirer of these birds. And since you mentioned the essay, I'll throw a recommendation back to you: "Barn Swallows in Flight" kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnO6pp-fdt2sprssi=11PNhz1zQ7IRU763

[@bertanelson8062]

Fun & informative as usual! Thank you!❤️

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're welcome, Berta.

[@kitcumberland9341]

Wonderful and informative video! Thank you for helping identify the birds nesting under my covered porch. The beautiful spots on the mother bird's tail feathers were in clear view as she tried to shoo me away while I was reading a book on the porch this morning.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I enjoyed hearing from you, and I'm glad you found the movie useful. But by the way, how dare you invade her home like that! 😉

[@nickstl77]

Will they attack humans if you are near their nest? I don’t mean just swoop down and annoy us, I mean physically attack like pecking or scratching you.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I don't know. It wouldn't surprise me, but I've not experienced it.

[@senseibowie1808]

We have a pretty blue one here I love how similar they look to sparrows and their song is nice 😮 except for the clicking noises 😅

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I'm not familiar with their song, just with the clicking noises. Which are cute, I think.

[@paulv7554]

Last year a barn swallow built a nest on our front porch, up high close to the ceiling. It laid 5 eggs. They all hatched and flew away. This year a swallow built a nest in the same place on our porch. Maybe the same swallow as last year? Anyway, this swallow laid two eggs. One week passed and we looked in the nest and both eggs were gone. The very next day a swallow began building a nest on another area of the same porch. It only laid one egg in this new nest. My question is, did a predator eat the two eggs in the first nest and mother swallow decided to build a new nest in a different spot and only lay one egg? It's hard to understand what just happened.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yep, that's puzzling, Paul. Not the part about the eggs disappearing. That had to be a predator. And if the parents worried that the same predator would happen by, why build in nearly the same place? Those nests are a lot of work! But who knows? I don't. You don't. I'd be surprised if anybody else would.

[@ujwalrijal2348]

I am going to get a pet bird but I dont know I should get a barn swallow or a tree swallow

[@SevenEllen]

What were barn swallows and barn owls called before barns were invented? :-)

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Good question. 🤷‍♀️

[@Salmiyaguy1]

Lovely biography.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Of a lovely bird. Thanks, Charles.

[@Avyukt-AN]

Thank you for putting up the information.This beautiful species have created this mud nest at our terrace and I am so excited to see them around my house. You are so right,they come so close to warn you to stay away from the nest 🙈 . I will update once we see new members in it and yes would not destroy after usage. Thank you🌸 Love 😍 India.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I never have the pleasure of seeing these birds on our property, have to travel a bit for that fun. Enjoy!

[@captainthrall]

I've had a family nesting under the roof of my front porch for 4 years now. They're noisy, they dive-bomb me anytime I go outside, and they plaster my porch with droppings. That's just a small price to pay for having the world's greatest exterminators on my property. They eat wasps, hornets, crickets, and flies by the thousands.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes. And, of course, they are beautiful, acrobatic flyers.

[@NatureBelgium]

Nice video, they breed every way they can

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I have so many "favorite" birds, dozens really--including the Barn Swallows.

[@garbageplate]

Welp I wont hang out by their nests anymore 😂. They have 4 nests right outside the doors of my warehouse. I thought they were interested in me when they started flying around me, usually at least 6 of them. But now I know better. Ill be quick when I go inside from now on. Figured by now they would be used to me. Its been 2 years. Yesterday they were just watching me while I was on break. I whistled at them and they tilted their heads. I stood up to go inside and the bigger one booked it. I say hi to their babies whenever im loading a trailer. Sometimes they’re inside the warehouse in the morning so I of course let them out. Always hoped they were grateful but maybe not lol.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well, that was fun to hear about, A lex. Yeah, birds aren't usually much on gratitude--not very doglike at all on that score.

[@BeLoud13]

Darn right their flight is beguiling!

[@jimalbi]

There was a LOT of swallows around (Quebec) when I was young. Now, I hardly see one each year. Their population seems to be crashing down.

[@bacchantmedusae]

They live in the stove vent outside my kitchen and it's the most annoying thing I've ever dealt with. Once the babies get their voices they chirp NON STOP 14 hours a day and it's not a cute chirp like the adults, it's a raspy distorted white noise with every harsh annoying frequency combined into one horrible sound. I didn't know I had a least favorite bird until these little shits moved in. After this round of babies learns to fly and leaves, I'm barricading the vent.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

🥴 Love the way you told the story.

[@avamyst70]

If that's that most annoying thing you've ever dealt with consider yourself lucky!

[@givnikR]

Have you thought that maybe the reason why they don't build on cliffs and ridges is because we've leveled out the land and built where they normally would have and so now they have no option but to build on our structures? Lol I like the footage

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

As long as we're going to go around destroying wildlife habitat--which we do constantly--at least we've chosen some spectacular birds to make amends to. (If you check out my video about Cliff Swallows, you'll find the same pattern.) As for the quality of footage in this movie, filming the Barn Swallows was a pleasure!

[@givnikR]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Yes they're amazing to watch. Thanks for sharing ☺️

[@richardlucascronley5128]

I appreciate your videos! I just saw 3 barn swallows fly right below me (5 ft or so) while I was standing on my balcony on 3rd floor. The sun caught their wings just right and they looked bright blue for a moment. I could tell they were barn swallows by their forked tails and they nest at the nearby price chopper.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

That is so typical, a gorgeous, graceful bird with no sense of aesthetics--like the ones that nest under highway overpasses or gulls that frequent garbage dumps. Oh well, they grace the Price Chopper. 🤷‍♀️

[@texassteven8988]

I love these little birds, they come back every year to the nest under my porch, they keep my porch free of mosquitoes in the summer.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I wish we had them. Enjoy.

[@shadowbanned3716]

i love barn swallows. i dont like their poop but they are adorable little birds

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Know what you mean. We don't get them, and I wish we did! But at least we don't have to deal with poop on our porch.

[@adetayoadebayo8]

I have them in my he even laying egg right now.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Enjoy!

[@adetayoadebayo8]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOMEpls which enjoy ma.

[@davidazinger5639]

I don't think men ever dwelt in caves; Cain was a builder and he was son of Adam and Eve. I've never seen a swallow in real life. I think though I've seen them flying by; their flight pattern looks familiar.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

The swallows' flight is so much more zig zagging than that of other birds.

[@bacchantmedusae]

Then how do you explain all the art on the inside walls of caves?

[@Barnswallow262]

Barn Swallow numbers have plummeted; they are a species-at-risk in Ontario, Canada.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I didn't know that. I hate to hear it, but I can't say I'm surprised. We're destroying so much wildlife.

[@AulisA.O.T]

😌🇪🇪 ah, Estonia national birds

[@user-zd2cm1gkcp]

生で観察は楽しそう！

[@East_TX_LCR]

I have a chest high nest full of chicks in my work garage. I like stopping by to look at them.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Sounds to me like you and the barn swallows are each doing the other a favor. I know I’d like a chance to peer at a bunch of nestlings every day.

[@East_TX_LCR]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Their pretty new, super sleepy currently. I've seen them begging for food when momma's near.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@East_TX_LCR Their little orange maws pop open like synchronized Jack-in-the boxes.

[@andreawimer4334]

I hate these aggressive little shits. They atrack me and I cant enjoy my ponies. Ill prevent there return at any price. Hate them. I still get tons of flies on hot days.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Hey, I don't wanna make you any madder, but my husband and I got a good laugh out of your comment--it's just so unusual for a person to hate them that much and you're so frustrated! It just struck us as funny.