Everyone needs a guest house....

It appears that even the birds think they need a guest house!

A few weeks ago some cliff swallows built a mud nest on the front of our house. Eggs were laid and hatched but as the babes grew bigger, family wanted to come and visit and say "hi".

And so last week, they built a couple of guest houses! I think they look like hammocks! Here is the nest on the right and two hammocks to the left (the occupant of the furthest left hammock has just stepped out for a quick bite to eat):


The babes stay in the proper nest with an adult guarding the front and one swallow sits in each of the hammocks!

In this photo - the swallow from the left hand nest had finished his dinner and was now back (he still looks hungry to me!):


And here's mummy with auntie staying next door!

There are many more cliff swallows flying around but I'm not sure why they are all living...maybe they take it in turns to hang out in the hammocks???

We've normally had barn swallows nesting before - so nice to see Cliff this year! The cliff swallows make a gourd shaped mud house with small entrance whereas the barn swallows make a mud bowl.

All the cliff swallows you see here are adults - you can tell by the white forehead.

Wonder how long the guest houses will remain full????