Coming back from breakfast today, I noticed spatters of mud on the screen door. This is odd, as the door is recessed, three feet from the nearest mud, and out of the wind. There was also mud on the concrete. So I looked up.
Some enterprising swallow (probably the fork-tailed one that's been yelling at me when I leave for work) is building a nest right above my front door; there's already a good mud foundation on the brick, about 10 feet up.
This explains why the cat is having random attacks of "Bird! Die now! Why can't I get through the glass and kill you?" when she looks out the window that covers the aerial approach to the front door.
Given that swallows like to return to nesting sites, this may have to be dealt with soon, before they complete the nest and use it for a month.
Huh, interesting... I don't remember seeing that before when we looked at the house last year.
ReplyDeleteIs there a ledge they're building on? If so clear plastic bird spikes are cheap on amazon. If its one of the variety of swallows that just builds on the sides of things I'm not sure how you'd deter them. However keep in mind that messing with the nest of a large majority of native birds is illegal, so I highly recommend that if you want to stop them you do it NOW.
ReplyDeleteIn China having swallows and house martins nesting under your eaves is considered to be very, very good luck and a reflection of the kindliness of the inhabitants of the house.
ReplyDeleteI'd leave the nest alone if I was you.
Steve
Howdy!
ReplyDeleteWe had a pair of barn swallows nest under our eaves this year. (probably what you have if the birds have a forked tail) They are heck on the bugs when they have babies to feed...just saying.
Diane