Haven’t seen any in Michigan yet. I love them…when we cut the grass they remind me of fighter jets with all the swooping, climbing and diving.
I mowed today and had a barn swallow entourage
The Blue Angels… the best avian version of the best aviators in the world. 
ours have been in east central Iowa for about 3-4 wks and are busily claiming last year’s nests in the barn. And swooping at my poor DH as he tries to BBQ on the porch.
The pink chestnut is in bloom right now - and sure enough the humming birds are here - summer is here.
Thank the Lord…finally. lol!!!:lol:
Not only have I seen the barn swallows, I have a nest again! Wasn’t sure that the occasional bird droppings I saw in my barn aisle were from any construction or not - they could have just been doing flybys, but this morning I looked up and there’s a lovely little nest!
(A couple of years ago, I had a nest, but at the end of the season, it fell down - and nobody moved in last year.)
2Dogs is doing the Happy Swallow Dance!
I have a pair established in the barn - starlings notwithstanding - and hope to see hatchings soon! 
And in non-swallow-related news:
The Mama Robin who put her nest on a window ledge located on my back porch is now feeding 4 UglierThanSin babies
Our robins have already fledged, 2Dogs, tell yours to get on it! :lol:
Okay…now the bad part.
The black snakes have arrived, going after eggs, setting adults – and then of course, the babies after they’ve hatched. Crows go after the babies too. Hate that.
My dogs are great at harrassing the snakes, then I remove them with a snake catcher I made and move them across the creek.
They have arrived near Calgary, AB as of May 16. Yay!
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7577141]
The pink chestnut is in bloom right now - and sure enough the humming birds are here - summer is here.[/QUOTE]
Pink chestnut? Sounds beautiful. Our hummers stay here year round, actually the little rascals eat bugs on the trees which I did not know. I wondered why they kept flying into the cedar trees and had to go read up on the habits. Now I am off to look up pink chestnuts.
Ours are swooping through the barn. I see one next but I think there is another hidden one I haven’t spotted yet. Love them!
Yeah! So excited and knew you guys would get it. When I lived up north, I had barn swallows, and just loved them! After snowbirding in the south, the barn swallows never re-appeared. I think they found closed up barn and went elsewhere.
My barn here in the south had sparrows take up residence, mush to my chagrin. Today, I noticed 4 barn swallows diving all around and scoping out my property. I so hope they like it. Either way, it was such a pleasure to see that unmistakable body shape and their antics.
I run a hose during the days or my chickens and find its attracting song birds too.
Yeah! So excited and knew you guys would get it. When I lived up north, I had barn swallows, and just loved them! After snowbirding in the south, the barn swallows never re-appeared. I think they found closed up barn and went elsewhere.
My barn here in the south had sparrows take up residence, mush to my chagrin. Today, I noticed 4 barn swallows diving all around and scoping out my property. I so hope they like it. Either way, it was such a pleasure to see that unmistakable body shape and their antics.
I run a hose during the days for my chickens and find its attracting song birds too.
Mine love it when I run the sprinklers in the indoor - it is pool party time!
The good news is that the swallows are back and have established themselves in nests… the bad news is that there are not as many of them. 
The hummingbirds are back (this week!)
and for the first time ever I saw a BLUEBIRD!!!
The barn swallows that nest in my front porch rafters every year have not returned
Our population seems to be back in full force. Could be the massive amount of black flies that have lured them back <ugh>.
Mine are back but not quite as many as last year. I did have to take down a couple nests because some sparrows were trying to take over.
I currently have 7 active nests, down 2 from last year.
