Barn Babies Return!

My barn swallows have returned to my front porch...Mama, Daddy, and all 5 babies!!!    I read, that they are sexually mature at 1 year, but aren't very fertile.  So, one or two will join Mom and Dad to get some "on the job" training   feeding and nurturing this year's babies.    But, all five!!!  Oh, my, it has gotten really crazy  , when they all take flight!

If all 5 stay, and they have another 5 babies, fledge day will be a riot...12 barn swallows swooping around all the columns on my huge front porch!  Thank goodness, they have such accurate flight avoidance skills! 

Despite the chaos all around me, as I sit in my deck chair...I love having such "tame" birds nest and perch so close to me.   One of my porch lamps is only about 18" from my head.  I take great solace in both our quiet time and our conversations...as the babies can be quite chatty.  They all are comfortable around me.  But, they do create quite a stir, when all of them practice their aerial skills all at one time!

As many perches are deemed acceptable in the Avian forum, I posted my image here.  This is one of last year's babies just above me on top of a lamp,