Summer shots: birds and bugs

[begreen]

I put up a birdhouse on the greenhouse this spring. Next day, violet-green swallows moved in. Every day I hear the brood chirping away. On Friday, I saw this little guy with his feet on the entrance hole. He was ready to leave. The second shot is his mom (or dad?) sitting above. You could see the parents encouraging them to leave the nest. That evening I went to close the greenhouse door and unfortunately our cat followed me. Before I knew it, it ran off with something it found below the birdhouse. I'm sure it was the first to leave the nest. :long:

The next day I kept the cat locked in the house. I could hear nothing from the birdhouse, but outside I could hear the chirping of the babies. The let out a loud chirp about once every 2 seconds. Sounds like a homing beacon, which is what it is. I found one, probably the runt, on the ground. It was weak and shaking. I don't think that one made it either. But the last one I heard loud and clear and it was mobile. I finally spotted it in an apple tree. Then it flew to the telephone lines. This guy is going to make it.

The last picture is of a whopping large crane fly. This thing was on the porch door. I put a bottle next to it to show how huge it is. :wow: