Perhaps one of the most acrobatic birds that flies in our skies is the barn swallow. They fly at amazing speeds, nearly impossible to photograph accurately and clearly, and dip and dive in the most erratic manner.

They fly fast enough to snatch bugs out of the air, and they skim along the water with their beaks open to drink. They pack tiny goblets of mud in their beaks and then spit them onto barn walls and eves to build a nest. And here they give birth to their young.

 

I happened to be living in place where several species of barn swallows decided to nest. It was an ideal location, as there was a barn, a pond (good for bugs), and soft banks (good for mud goblets).

 

Each spring the babies would hatch and I would watch as they learned to fly. Sometimes rescuing the ones who had a first failed attempt, and placing them up high so they could try again in another day or two.

These two young swallows had been flying around and occasionally landing near the deck when I decided to get my camera and see if I could catch them together.

 

Finally they landed at the same time, and briefly sat quietly for a moment. I took a few pictures, and then out of the blue they started squaking and appeared to be yelling at one another. This went on for several seconds, stopped, and then started again. The “yelling” continued multiple times. They even left and came back and did it again.

 

Later as I looked at the photo I began to wonder what this story was really about. Were they indeed having an argument? And one was  saying “Stop Yelling”. Or perhaps they were excited about flying, and one said “I flew, I flew” and the other said “Me too, me too”. Did they fly off and come back to talk about snatching their first bug out of the air, “I got one, I got one”. One friend who observed the photo said she thought they were in love, and were saying “I love you”, and the other “I love you more”. 

 

This is another conversation starter. Hang it up and ask your guests what they see. What does what they see tell you about your guests. If you have other ideas about what these two might be saying to one another drop us a line in our comments section. We enjoy hearing from you.