Tag Archives: Violet-Green Swallow

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Rozanne Rapozo caught this Spotted Towhee as it hopped up. Rozanne and three other coast photographers were over at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay last Saturday. This is one of the photos Rozanne got that day.

Another photo is of the Violet-green Swallow nesting box under the eves of our roof, facing west. The parents have been busy feeding their chicks. When one of the parents leave, he/she might be carrying a fecal sac out of the nest. That is what Rozanne photographed here.

Having birds choose to nest on your property seems like a gift...and that gift brings joy for many days.

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photos with you here. Bonus Fun Fact: Rozanne makes the best cheesecake in the world!

It's a lovely day here. No fog to speak of this morning and it's totally gone this afternoon. This might be the perfect weekend to be on the beautiful Mendonoma Coast!

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Cliff Swallows have arrived and are busy building their nests of mud. You can see these beautiful swallows working hard at the north end of the Gualala Community Center building, along the entrance road to the post office. Cliff Swallows nest in colonies. Here is a photo Robert Scarolo took some years ago in a tunnel at The Sea Ranch.

Diane Hichwa further explains. She wrote, “Our Barn Swallows build individual nests [hidden from each other]. Tree Swallows build in cavities in trees or boxes, and may be harder to find! Violet-green Swallows use nesting boxes.” Our largest swallow, the Purple Martin, uses nesting cavities in trees that other birds have made, such as woodpeckers.

Here is the beautiful Violet-green Swallow photographed by Craig Tooley.

And there is one more swallow species that returns here in the spring. Ron Bolander wrote, “I was out photographing at Gualala Point with my  usual Saturday group of friends. We all photographed these Northern Rough-winged Swallows in this tree. It was nice to capture this image on a beautiful day in the park.” Diane tells me this type of swallow is found near a river, as they nest in the river’s banks.

All of these swallows leave our area in the late Summer or early Fall. They are insect eaters, eating over a hundred insects a day, each one of them. In the Winter there aren’t enough insects for them to survive here, so they fly to warmer climes to our south.

If you are lucky enough to have swallows build a nest under your eves or in a light fixture, as happened one year at Surf Super’s entrance doors, think of the benefits these swallows bring by keeping the insect population under control. If you are worried about the mess the baby birds make, you can take a cardboard box and cut the sides off, leaving an inch or so. Tack that up under the nest to catch the waste, and when the birds have fledged, take it down and dispose of it. Remember that migratory birds, and their nests, are protected by law.

Thanks to Robert, Craig and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Mel Smith and Linda Bostwick must be doubly fortunate, as they had two sets of birds nest in their birdhouse. The first to occupy the box were Chestnut-backed Chickadees. Once their chicks had fledged, Violet-green Swallows took residence and currently have chicks in the birdhouse.

Violet-green Swallow in a nesting box by Mel Smith (1024x576)Here's a photo Linda took a few years ago of a Violet-green Swallow with a feather in its beak. A nice soft touch for a nest!

Male Violet-green Swallow with a feather by Linda BostwickThanks to Mel and Linda for allowing me to share their photos with you here.