Bandits Have Taken Over

About the time that the barley is harvested and fields are prepared for the rice planting season the swallows return from their winter vacations in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and other warmer places.

I know that in many countries swallows – called Tsubame here- are considered pests. Japanese welcome them. If swallows choose your home as a nesting ground it’s considered good luck and a blessing. You can buy trays to attach to the wall that catch the bird droppings.

You also become part of their family and security team. There are quite a few predators to watch-out for.

Two years ago we were chosen. It was early spring. I went outside to do something and noticed bird droppings and wet mud spattered on the concrete. I looked up and saw mud spattered on the side of the overhang. Suddenly there was a woosh of air over my head- a swallow! It had come to plaster more mud on the overhang when it was surprised by me standing there.

I quickly went back into the house and watched from the kitchen window as two of them flew back and forth to the overhang for hours that day.

Later I peeked out the front door and saw that there was quite a bit of mud stuck to the house already. It took them about a week to complete the nest. We had so much fun listening for little peeps!

We had our work cut out for us as guardians. Once in the late afternoon I went outside to dead head some flowers. There, curled around the lattice, was a huge snake. I was standing right next to it and didn’t notice it right away. Gah- my hair still stands up remembering it.

Hubby “relocated” the snake. I watched from the kitchen window. It had come to snatch the eggs.

Another time- early in the morning after mother swallow had flown off to feed, I chased away a huge black karasu ( raven) with my broom. It came back a few times! They destroy the nest and eat the eggs or the baby birds.

We lost one egg to a predator one night so we took turns checking on them in the wee hours of the morning. That first year we had three fledglings!

The second year they returned! We were delighted! Mama bird was busy repairing some places of the nest that had crumbled a bit. A couple of weeks later she finally settled in on her eggs.

And then… disaster.

Early one morning I went outside and saw a chuck of the nest. It lay smashed on the concrete but the worst part was … the eggshells. Mama swallow was no where to be found. I cried. I felt like we had failed her. At first we thought it was a snake but the nest location would make it pretty difficult for a snake to do this much damage. It must have been a raven.

Mama swallow came a few times but there were no babies that year. She flew off and never returned.

And then one morning I saw a tail sticking out of the nest… suddenly up popped a sparrow! Sparrows are also enemies of the swallows-so we heard but we didn’t think they would destroy the nest! They destroyed it and took over what was left!

The nest is run-down and full of holes. A huge chunk is missing and it’s now inhabited by bandits! The sparrows have moved in.

There are two of them in that nest. We can see their tail feathers sticking through the holes in the side. I wonder if there are eggs? No idea. My husband was upset and wanted to take the nest down but I said… no. Just leave it. This is nature. I’m not happy our swallow family was chased away but I won’t destroy the sparrow’s home.

If they have young I’ll upgrade here on the blog.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with sparrows. Have you ever had sparrows nest at your home?