[ownedbycats]

The barn swallows are still sitting on the nest. My neighbours tried to see into the nest and think they saw three eggs. (I'd complain about them disturbing the birds, it's not nice to bother nesting birds, but the swallows did choose to nest directly above their house door and this is a busy noisy family. If human activity was going to disturb them they probably would have left before the nest was even finished.)
I'm not even sure when the eggs were laid so I have no way of estimating when they will hatch. I figure as long as a parent comes swooping out off the nest to catch insects every morning while I stand waiting for Sunshine to do her business, there's a good chance I haven't missed seeing the babies.
In the meantime, to make up for the lack of swallow pictures, here's a pair of red-winged blackbirds to look at