Bird On A Wire...

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A Violet-Green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) perches on the electricity supply line to our house near a nesting box the swallows have been using for many years now. As if posing for the camera this fine looking swallow was kind enough to lower its left wing a bit so we can see the colorful violet patch above its tail-feathers.

This one and several others have been visiting the box since the beginning of spring and a pair will almost certainly move in very soon now.

There has always been a lot competition for the gourd nesting box they have traditionally used and two years ago one swallow actually knocked another out of the air onto the front porch. The momentarily stunned swallow just flew back up and resumed the battle.

Last year I added a second box near the gourd and birds were nesting in both.

Violet-Green Swallows are known to live in small colonies so I'm thinking of building a sort of swallow hotel with several nesting boxes for next season.