Worried about baby swallows in the shed

Eyespy

Hi,

I hope someone can help me. We had lodgers in the shed since May and happily they've raised 1 perfect little family in the meantime. However Ma Swallow remained around and about 7 weeks ago started constructing a new nest. We now have another little family of 5 swallows (roughly about 4 weeks, still all quills with blue fluff around the tips and gaping mouths) but this is where the trouble is. The birds are constantly crying and I'm afraid that they're starving to death.

Mam and Dad fly in and out all day but the birds are a lot noisier than the last flock and this is what caused my worry. They even cry at night when I go in to shut the doors. I'm getting up at about 6 50 to open both shed doors to let the parents out, the doors are open till they come in at night, but I don't think it's making any difference. I accept that it's getting colder and with the last flock the parents had a longer day to feed (6-10 30 as opposed to nearly 7 to about 8 30). I've found though for the last two days the parents aren't returning as much during the day and the little chicks are going frantic.

Is there anything I can do? I don't want to feed the chicks just yet because I don't know if they can digest solid food and I'm also afraid that the parents won't return if they think I've been near the nest. I'm just so worried that they've hatched really late and they won't live to take off from the shed like the first lot. I mean it's September now and surely the swallows will start congregating on the esb wires shortly?

Does anyone have any ideas please? Many thanks

mymo

You could ask in the nature and birdwatching forum, but I think it may be a case of this brood being too late in the year to survive.
Swallows will often have a second and sometimes even a third brood, but the later they are born, the less their chance of survival. I have already seen swallows gathering, they will be leaving very soon, so I think these chicks may be left to perish.
Sorry.
If you ask in the nature and birdwatching forum you may get advice about feeding etc there.

borderlinemeath

It sounds very late for them to be still getting food supplied by the parent birds. However with the colder weather it's probably been harder for the parents to get a plentiful supply of flies.

There's a family still living in my shed as well, (second brood) but they've been flying for a couple of weeks and learning the skills they need to migrate.

Eyespy

Thanks Guys, I didn't realise that there was a bird-watching forum but I'll ask there as well. I kind of figured what you've both said in your posts, that it is too late for them to survive but it's kind of heart-breaking to listen to them cry at the moment. I've just been out to lock the hens in for the night and was leaving their feeders in the shed and the birds were crying the whole time. Both parents are still there tonight anyway so that's a good thing. Thanks again lads and the best of luck with your birdies borderlinemeath.

Honey-ec

That's awful, Eyespy, I can totally see how you'd be upset. Could you maybe leave a dish of mealworms or even a high energy feed-ball in the shed so the parents have a better chance of feeding the chicks, especially when it's closed at night?

We had house martins in our gable end last year and the brood had hatched and seemed to be doing really well. However, we went a day or two without seeing the parents and on the third day the nest had broken apart (I assume they need to constantly maintain it). OH climbed out onto the garage roof and sure enough, the dead chicks were there. He said they were fully feathered and quite big, so they can't have been that far from being fledged. We both took it quite hard, as silly as it might sound.

Best of luck with your brood, hopefully you'll get some good advice from the Birdwatchers.