Kristi Bowman Design: violet-green swallow

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Wild Bird Wednesday - Nest Cameras

For the second year I'm filming a Violet-Green Swallow family in their nest box. The box has a camera inside that we've strung to a spare TV in the house so I can watch them all the time!

Mama VG laid 5 eggs over Memorial Day Weekend, while I was out of town, and 4 of them hatched.

Today is day 10.

Here is one of the first videos of the year, Mama beginning preparations. I started her out with a little bit of nesting material to which she adds a ton of feathers.

5 eggs!

4 little birds growing like crazy.

Their eyes are just starting to open and they are doing lots of preening on all those new feathers popping out!

Dark-eyed Junco

Over the weekend I discovered a Junco nest in a hanging Strawberry basket so we hooked up a camera and I can switch between watching the Violet-Green Swallow, to the Juncos.

I'm hoping the VG's fledge about the time the Junco's hatch so I don't have to worry about missing anything!

Here's the basket with the camera clamped directly above!

Daddy Junco on the nest!

UPDATE!!

As of today (6/21/16) we have 3 eggs!!

Video of Dad on the nest.

I post most of the photos and videos I get everyday to my Instagram so if you'd like to keep up in between blog posts that's where you'll see the most!

Link below.

Instagram

If you'd like to take a look at some of last years pics and videos on my blog CLICK HERE!

Kristi

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/2016/06/wild-bird-wednesday-204-curlew.html

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Violet-Green Swallows - Fledged 07-11-15 WBW

My Violet-Green Swallow babies all filed out of the nest one after the other this morning, right on schedule.

Today is day 25 and that is the average time it takes to fledge.

They did everything right on schedule!

After a couple of hours out of the nest one flew back in the nest box and they all spent time on the garage roof. Mom and Dad are as busy as ever keeping track of them and taking care.

Here's a short video of one in the box and one on the roof. They are a little clumsy landing, but considering they just started flying a couple of hours ago it's absolutely amazing how well they do!

Kristi

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/2015/07/wild-bird-wednesday-155-robin.html

Monday, July 6, 2015

Violet-Green Swallows - Day 19-20 WBW

These little ones are not so little any more and in just a few days they will begin to fledge the nest!

There's almost always a baby looking out of the nest waiting for a meal from Mom or Dad!

Since the babies are spending lots of time with their heads poking out of the nest box I though I'd catch some shots of them being fed. Above is mom about to take off after leaving behind a bug breakfast for one of the babies.

Here's dad dropping off some goodies and showing off his beautiful Violet behind!

Dad, shortly after take off!

Feeding in progress!

One more!

Here's mom perching on the light fixture right by the nest, with one of the babies watching.

This light fixture was used 2 years in a row by Juncos but unfortunately the nests were raided. That's when I decided to put up a nest box right next door and the VG's have used it 2 years in a row.

I'm guessing I'll only have 1 or 2 more blog posts to share before they are gone.
Maybe the little ones will hang around and I'll be able to get some pics of the babies after they fledge.

I hope so!

Kristi

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Violet-Green Swallow - Day 7

Day 7 - Hatched 061715

I quickly got in to the nest to take a picture while the parents were out,

I was in and out in about 30 seconds.

It looks like their eyes are just in the process of starting to open.

What little cuties!!

As usual the parents returned as soon as we moved away.

Video taken with a Camera inside the nest.

Kristi

Monday, June 22, 2015

Violet-Green Swallow Days 4 and 5

The continuing saga of my Violet-Green Swallow Family!
Babies hatched on 6/17/15,
here is video from day 4 and day 5.

I took a quick peak in the nest over the weekend and took this picture. Extremely difficult to get a picture from inside the nest box, the camera wants to focus on the feathers.

The videos are taken from a camera inside the nest box and we have it wired to a tv inside my house.

When I get in to the nest box itself it's only for a very short time, less than a minute.

Kristi

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Violet-Green Swallow babies - day 2

This is the start of day 2 for these little Violet-Green Swallow Hatchlings!

They are hungry as usual!

Below is a video from yesterday afternoon, you can clearly see 5 little mouths open up when mom chirps at them! Confirming that all 5 eggs hatched and mom has cleaned most of the egg shells out of the nest box. Taken from a Nest Camera connected to a TV screen inside my house.

Kristi

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Violet-Green Swallow Babies!!

These little babies didn't mess around, last night there was no *Pipping going on that I could see. All the eggs looked fully intact. This morning, we have babies!

Than moments later I was lucky enough to catch mom feeding.
What a wonderful adventure and I'm so excited to share it with you! Check back often, I'm going to attempt to have something to share everyday so we can all watch the progress as these babies grow every day! *pip⁴ pip/ verb gerund or present participle: pipping

(of a young bird) crack (the shell of the egg) when hatching.

Kristi