At the violet-green swallow's nest I discovered near the entrance to the farm, the young chicks are big enough to come up to the nest opening.
THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO CHICKS IN THIS NEST
Violet-green swallow parent arrives for a feeding
I can tell when parent is returning, because chicks open their beaks in advance!
Violet-green swallow chick
Parent on the way!
Adult swallow leaning into nest for a feeding, probably to get the chicks farther back in the nest
Parents were working pretty hard keeping their chicks fed, with lots of trips to the nest
A spotted towhee was making its repeated nasal chirp nearby the swallow's nest...
Spotte Towhee in the orchard
Making my way back to the house, I get a glancing look from an acorn woodpecker on their favorite perch, a nearby utility pole...
DIFFERENT NEST: Adult male violet-green swallow shoots away from the nest
In the lower orchard near the creek, there is another violet green swallow's nest, but the chicks are not showing yet at the nest opening.
 | Female violet-green flies to the nest, lower orchard |
Juvenile red-shouldered hawk still sitting and making a racket until its parents come to feed it, especially early mornings and evenings.
Sadly, this tree swallow nest box was raided and the nest disturbed - not sure what happened. The parent swallows watched me hopefully when I examined and closed the nest box back up, but there was nothing to be done.
There might still be time for them to start another nest, but without knowing how the nest was compromised, it is difficult to decide how to protect it from a future event.