Tree Swallow Family(Shelly Garrod) Author's Note. This story was inspired by a family of Tree Swallows. This summer Tree Swallows chased away my Bluebirds. This was a new experience for me. I learned plenty and truly enjoyed being a landlord to these beautiful swallows. I never thought the last little one would leave but he finally did. It was a great experience (although I miss my Bluebirds). I hope you enjoy this story.

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“Oh, Johnathon this looks like a nice place to build our nest.”

“Yes, it does Martha. Very nice.”

The happy couple work diligently for two weeks building a beautiful nest filled with grasses and lined with soft fluffy feathers. Finally, they're finished.

“Johnathon it's just perfect.”

“Yes, it is Martha.”

“Let's begin our family.” Martha cries with joy.

The next few days she begins laying her eggs. One egg a day for five days. When she is finished, she has a beautiful clutch of five pure white tiny eggs. Soon she begins to carefully incubate them. Slowly one by one the eggs begin to hatch. It's not long before the tree swallow pair are the proud parents of five tiny pale pink, helpless, hairless closed eyed hatchlings.

Now the work begins. There are five tiny beaks begging to be fed. And the little ones are not wasting any time letting their parents know they are hungry. Day after day as the chicks grow bigger and stronger their need for food intensifies. Mom and dad are busy flying around catching flies, bees, ants and other insects in hopes of satisfying their hungry family.

Soon the siblings are fighting for food.

“I hear mom coming. Hey move over! It's my turn! You got the fly last time!” Yells Stew as he pushes his brother Hank out of the way.

Mom flies to the opening.

“Hey, over here mom.” Stew chirps.

“Now, now Stew let your brother and sisters have a taste.”

Soon dad flies in with a beak full of bees and ants. Gurgling as he approaches. "What is going on here? There sure is a lot of noise coming from you bunch.” As dad speaks, he drops his beak full of food. The nestlings scramble to get what they can. Little Millie is trampled by her brothers, so she huddles in the corner. Her sister Harriet screeches, “Mommy Millie didn't get any food.”

“Now, now nestlings stop the bickering. Your mother and I will bring back plenty of food. Calm down and wait for us to return. Stew, you are the oldest. Keep an eye on your siblings.

As the two adults fly off in search of more scrumptious insects Martha chirps, “Your son Stew is insisting on getting all of the food. Not wanting to share with his siblings. I know he was the first born and he does have an appetite, but the others need to eat too.”

“I know Martha. He's a big boy and can be a bully at times. I'll make sure the others are fed their fair share.”

Inside the nest sibling rivalry was happening. “You are so mean Stew. You want all the food for yourself. We have to eat too,” says Jane the youngest and smallest of the five. I'm hungry. Mommy and daddy seem to always miss me when they feed us.”

“Well, you're small and you crouch in the corner so mom and dad can't see you.” peeps Hank.

“And you don't peep up very loudly.” chirps Harriet. “You need to be louder, so they hear you.”

“I'll make sure mommy feeds you some grub.” Tweets little Millie. “You and I need to fend for ourselves and be loud and flap our wings, so we are noticed Jane.”

“I know. I hear mommy and daddy. They're here! They're back!” Peeps Jane in her strongest little chirp.

“Oh my, where is that little peeping chirp coming from?” Dad says.

“Jane, is that you my little one? Says her mommy.

“Mommy, I'm hungry.” Cries Jane.

Her mommy feeds her a big grasshopper. “How's that my little peep squeak?

Jan mumbles “Good.” as she swallows the bug.

The rest of the flock become very vocalized chirping and flapping and pushing each other.

“Settle down. Settle down. There's enough for all of you. And there is plenty more food out there flying around. You just need to give me and your mom time to catch the food and bring it to you.”

Soon the parents fly off. This time they are gone for quite a while. The chicks begin to get restless.

“Where are they? They're gone and never coming back cries Jane."

“They'll be back.” Chirps Hank

“Mom and dad won't leave us.” Boast Stew with his little chest expanded. “Just wait and see. They'll be back real soon.”

Slowly time crept by with no sign of their parents. Nuzzling close to one another eventually the little fledglings drift off to sleep.

Off in the distance they can hear their parents' call. Inside the nest box a ruckus is occurring. Very hungry babies are loud and boisterous eager to be fed. The parents arrive with beaks full of belly filling bugs for their young. The feast was underway. Mom and dad continued to fly in and out bringing all kinds of insects to their babies.

As time passes the fledglings grow bigger, stronger, noisier and braver. Now they stick the heads and beaks out the entrance hole grabbing bugs as the parents fly by. Stew is so big now he covers the entire entrance hole when he pops his head out for food.

“Hey Stew move over. We can't get any food. Mom and dad can only see you.”

“OK, OK.” Storms Stew as he backs to the corner of the nest box.

His siblings scramble to the entrance hole just as their parents fly by with insects hanging from their beaks. In no time all bellies are full, and they all nod off to sleep.

The nest box has now become pretty crowded as the young birds are rapidly growing and are about ready to leave the security of their birdhouse.

“I want to leave the nest. I want to fly like mom and dad.” Stew says chirping loudly. “Come on Hank lets go. Follow me.” Suddenly the two birds fly out the entrance and take flight. Hank's a little unsteady at first but quickly gets the idea. The brothers fly by coaxing their sisters to join them. “Harriet, Millie, Jane this is great! We can soar in the sky. I'm going to find mom and dad. They will be so proud of us.” He flew off and was soon out of sight. Hank wasn't far behind.

Harriet went to the entrance, stuck her little beak out and chirped softly. The three sisters then cuddled against each other and waited for their brothers to return. Hours went by, nothing. That evening and the next day they didn't get any food from their parents, and they didn't see their brothers. They were beginning to get quite hungry so all three started chirping as loud as they could.

“My throat hurts.” Cheeped Millie.

“Keep calling for our parents.” chirped Harriet.

“I can't.”

“Yes, you can. You're hungry, aren't you?”

“Yes.”

“Then keep chirping.”

“Jane come over here and chirp with us.”

“I don't want to Harriet. I'm scared.”

“Why are you scared?”

“I don't want to fall out the hole.”

“You won't fall out. Just stay behind me and Millie.”

The sisters started chirping like crazy.

“Stop!” Harriet yells. “Listen, I think I hear mom.”

Just then their parents come flying in with bugs. Lots of bugs.

“Here you are my sweet girls. Eat up then it's time to fly.” Their mom softly chirps.

“I agree with your mother. It is time to fly and join your brothers. We have a long journey ahead of us. But first you must practice your flying skills and learn how to find and catch food for yourselves. You must be strong for our long flight. We will soon meet up with your aunts, uncles and cousins and we will all take flight together.”

Within the next couple of days Harriet and Millie left the nest. Only Jane the youngest of the five was left. Nestled in the far back of the nest box Jane rested silently as she listened intensely in hopes of hearing her siblings or her parents. Two days had passed with no signs of any of her family. Then on the third day her mom flew in with a big juicy grub.

“Mom!” Jane chirped loudly.

“Here honey, I brought you some food. But it is time that you leave the nest.”

“I can't mom. It's too scary. I want to stay here.”

“My silly one. You can't stay here. You are ready to join your family. Be brave my little one. You can do it. We are waiting for you. We will be watching from nearby. When we see you fly out, we will come and guide you. Don't be afraid. You will be OK. We all love you and will be waiting for you.”

The next day bright and early Jane's daddy flew into the birdhouse with a beak full of bugs. Jane gobbled them up. “That's all there is my little girl. You must fend for yourself now. It is time for you to fly. You are the youngest and the last to leave the nest. You are dad's brave little one. You are ready.

Suddenly Jane heard a lot of chattering and chirping. She stuck her head out the hole and watched as her siblings flew back and forth and swooped through the air.

“I caught one Jane! I caught a fly!” Screeched Millie.

“Watch me, Jane!” Hank said as he flew way up high and swooped down fast to catch a dragonfly.

“Come on Jane. This is fun. I can fly real fast.” Bragged Stew.

Harriet and Millie flew by with their mom and dad and soared high into the sky and out of sight.

Jane glared into the sky. Her siblings and parents were gone. She watched out the opening for a very long time then finally decided it was time. Time to fly. She squeezed out the opening, flapping her wings and landed on top of the birdhouse. Jane looked in the direction her family had previously flown and saw small dark specks approaching which soon came into full view. She chirped with joy as she realized it was her family. All of them.

Her siblings chirped.

“Hey, Jane, you did it!”

“We knew you could do it!

“Way to go Jane!”

“Look at our brave little sister!”

“Our family is all together again Johnathon.”

“Yes, we are Martha.”

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