How far North are the barn swallows?

[StormyDay]

I haven’t read all 700+ replies, so maybe it’s already been asked and answered, but;

Why are you guys so excited about the barn swallows?

The barn I’m in now had a pair when I moved in. They were pretty cute and raised their babies. The whole family would line up every night on a rafter in the barn and watch me do night chores, even long after the babies could have taken care of themselves.

Year two a (I believe different) pair came back. They were extremely aggressive and would dive bomb me and the horses in the barn. It was so bad the horses didn’t want to go inside.

This year, they came back again, but I said ‘no more’ and knocked down all of their nesting material as they started to build because one of them again started to harass and dive bomb me. It went so far as to follow me into the tack room.

Do I just have the nasty thug barn swallows here? Why are mine so mean?

[2DogsFarm]

They eat their weight in mosquitos.
& They entertain me when the parents hold Flight School encouraging the fledglings to leave the nest. Then more fun, watching the maiden flights
I had one baby who refused to leave. I sat & watched the parents build an entire new nest right next to where the baby sat in the original nest

And yes, they did divebomb my barncat & do some Top Gun flybys at me, but nobody got hurt & they never bother the horses.

[K_2]

Just resurrecting this annual thread as our first scout appeared in the barn this morning! Southern Ontario, Canada

[Mallard]

I was just thinking it was time to start this up for 2023.
I only just opened up all my doors last week and ‘something’ came swooping in and out of the barn on Saturday afternoon. Eastern Ontario.

[spacehorse]

I have a few scouters at my barn in Spring Grove, PA that appeared over the weekend!

[Equibrit]

Arrived in N GA 2 weeks ago. All busy repairing nests.

[Janet]

There is SOMETHING nesting in the swallow’s nest over our front door, but it does not seem to be a swallow. I have not been able to get a good enough look to guess what it really is.

[MoonWitch]

Same here in Downingtown, PA!

[Janet]

I Think I saw a barn swallow in the barn yesterday.

[TheJenners]

NW Washington, we have had violet-green swallows for about a week, barn swallows are usually close behind.

[Small_Change]

April 20th, many of us here in Southern Ontario saw our swallows for the first time this year!

[TheJenners]

Saw the first BARN swallow yesterday afternoon in the barn. It was alone but was definitely checking previous nest locations in my barn. Also it looks at least one breeding pair of violet-green swallow is making a home in one of my nest boxes

[Christa_P]

A pair just showed up in my barn this morning.

I had the farrier out and he asked about it when he got here, I told him none yet and it felt like they were late. As he was working on the last horse a pair came in and started chattering.

He said they got their first pair back a week ago and a few barns had them about 2 weeks ago.

ETA, according to this thread they were back in my barn 4/29/20 and 5/1/21, so they were about a week behind this year. Could be the cold, wet spring we have been having.

[2DogsFarm]

Something knocked down the nests in my barn.
They’d been in the same places for probably 10+yrs.
I’m looking at YOU! Birda-non-grata resident starlings & sparrows
Hopefully swallows will return & rebuild this year.

[Janet]

Reviving this 10 year old thread for 2024.
My barn swallows have been around (No VA) a couple of weeks. No sign of occupied nests yet.

[K_2]

Ours arrived April 14 (Southern Ontario). Busy renovating their nests!

[rockymouse]

Ours arrived about ten days ago and are busily repairing their old nests. I’m in far west Texas.

[fourfillies]

Mine are back this week in central PA. No nest building yet.

[Equibrit]

Broken eggshells.

[Larbear]

First swallows to the barn on Monday