We used to have Mud Martins under our carport at our other house. Some people call them Chimney Sweeps. They may also be called Barn Swallows. They make their little nests out of mud and let it dry. They fasten the mud to anything they can get it to stick to and make their little homes out of it.
They were pretty messy under our carport...about 8 feet from our back door, but we never had to worry about mosquitoes. (Mud Martins, where are you now, when we need you????) Mosquitoes are so thick out in our garden. Alas! The mud martins didn't move when we did!
They came back every year on March 31. One summer I was watching them out the back door and we didn't know how many eggs had been laid but several times we saw four little heads sticking up.
I was watching one day when the parents had decided it was time for them to learn to fly and leave the nest. I watched the two parents coax them out and it took about 10 minutes for two of them and a few minutes more for another. When their little wings took flight for the first time, they were sooooo cute.
There was one little straggler though and he just hunkered down in the nest determined to not leave it. The parents were flying around the nest 'encouraging him' and his little nest mates were doing the same. I watched for about 5 minutes and finally he crept upon the edge of the nest and sat there and watched.
The other birds and the little ones kept flying by and chirping as if to say: "Come on! Comc on! You can do it! It's so much fun!" I guess they finally convinced him because after he had sat on the edge of the nest for about 5 or 6 minutes, he took off.
I wouldn't have missed that show for the world!!!
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