Well a week after my scout arrived, and not seeing any sign of our swallows since, they have officially arrived! One pair and a spare so far! Checking out the nests from last year, and cursing the English sparrows for trashing some.
Southern Ontario.
Field Swallows are in NY (as of Saturday), but no sign of the barn residents yet.
Blue Birds arrived on Thursday and are now choosing their next boxes and quarreling with the field swallows
None here at my barn yet…hopeful! Love to see them darting in and out…
Less than 4 weeks ago all of us horse farm owner were ready to jump off a cliff after such a brutal winter (at least here in the mid-Atlantic).
Isn’t it great to be talking about this instead of frozen tundra, water hydrants and all else that just is back-breaking?
Swallows tell is it’s finally over! But when they leave in late August, I know old man winter is comin’ back. Swallows have seemed to define my state of mind. :lol:
Saw the first one flit in and out of the barn today in NoVA.
Our pair showed up the last week in March, about a week late. We took the nest down last fall so they are busy rebuilding it (it had been up for 7-8 years). They aren’t really making much progress so am wondering if we have a young pair vs
old timers who could put a nest together much faster. Lotsa rain so lotsa mud.
Still none here in our part of Southern Ontario! Keeping my eyes peeled. I have seen the Cormorants (my favorite) and the Herons flying over. Such a great time of year.
I haven’t seen any in my part of Ma.yet.
Cranes are back - heard them. then saw them flying over; probably sandhills with a few whooping cranes mixed in.
I figured out why the barred owls are not hanging in my indoor this year (which is good)…I’ve been hearing a Great Horned in their territory. The Great Horned Owl is about their only predator. The Great Horned won’t come in the barn, but I think the Barreds are keeping their distance. I can hear them on the other side of the farm, but not a the barn. I can hear the Great Horned right behind my house.
This is a GOOD thing. I love the owls, such interesting creatures, but I want my swallows to have safe haven in my barn.
Just a dorky “birder” update. :lol:
The Purple Martin scouts arrived last weekend.
I saw one pair of Barn Swallows arguing, on Sunday. One was doing all the talking and backing the other one away lollol.
When they did that last year, the new nest got torn down and rebuilt on a different beam.
Speaking of that, the barn Swallos have always built their nest somewhere above my heart horse’s stall. I laid him to rest last fall and this newly arrived pair are staying at the opposite end of the barn. Surely it isn’t the same pair and they recognize Duke is gone?
Blue birds are also back.
Barn swallows in Boston vicinity this past weekend. 
Yesterday saw my first barn swallow sighting here is southern Ontario. Hearing the peeper frogs too.
First barn swallows today. Already dive bombing in the indoor!
still waiting in the fraser valley…
Sid, I know what you mean with swallows defining your state of mind.
Concerning owls, I think you need to build another barn, or arena, so everyone’s satisfied!
On another state of mind theme: Hummingbird here yesterday
They seem to come a little earlier each year. I hang a feeder out at least a week early, good thing.
Well, I have an indoor with barn attached, and another smaller barn and that didn’t stop the owls last year. Thanks for the heads up on the hummers. I’ll put out my feeder.
[QUOTE=sid;8103054]
Less than 4 weeks ago all of us horse farm owner were ready to jump off a cliff after such a brutal winter (at least here in the mid-Atlantic).
Isn’t it great to be talking about this instead of frozen tundra, water hydrants and all else that just is back-breaking?
Swallows tell is it’s finally over! But when they leave in late August, I know old man winter is comin’ back. Swallows have seemed to define my state of mind. :lol:[/QUOTE]
Me too, sid.
I love the swallows, I wait for them in the spring, watch them as they sit on their nests in my barn, happily clean up baby swallow poop, and watch anxiously as they learn to fly.
Nothing makes me happier than to see the telephone line outside the house covered in ‘our’ swallows.
And then, one day, they are gone. No goodbyes. 
None here yet in my part of SW Ontario.
I hope they wait a bit, we are still getting frost.
And I need to rehome one of my barn cats, neutered, needled and a stone cold killer.
Just north of Toronto here. I saw a scout flying solo near Erin yesterday afternoon but they have not arrived here in Schomberg yet.
Cowbirds 2 days ago, first redwing black bird this morning! Last year the swallows came the 28th, it feels like they might be earlier this year…
It’s interesting that they are already in parts of Ontario, but not here!
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