On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:21:48 -0500, Omelet
wrote:

Barn swallows are so awesome. :-)
I'm a bit envious!

My entrance has a vestibule and they like that setting high up on the
rock. We have a TON of purple martins in the area as there are myriad
nests and gourds all over the place. It is pretty cool.

All I have nest here are sparrows and redbirds in the grape vines, and
house wrens in the birdhouse gourds I provide for them, and usually at
least one pair of mockingbirds per year.

Wonderful! You have good conditions for the locals! We always have
several Cardinal nests with babies and days later no babies. It
always breaks my heart off. The Cardinals like nesting in my Bay
Laurel tree, which is now over ten feet tall!

Others may nest high in the trees where I never see them as I do find
the occasional odd shell with a perfect circle cut in it indicating a
hatching, but I'm not skilled at identifying the birds from their
shells! G

If you find a shell the size of a grain of rice, it could be a
hummingbird or an anole. There is no shortage of skinks this year and
I've seen at least ten baby rat snakes and several corn snakes. So
cute with their little forked tongues.