I started my last update on the swallows by saying "Really good news on this front." I can begin this one by saying "Even better news this time!" as we now have four second broods.
There is a live nest in each of the four stables, one with five, one with four chicks in and definitely chicks in the other two, but can't give numbers yet as the nests are in dark places. One chick fell out this afternoon but was carefully replaced with his siblings so we hope he's learnt his lesson. (We have put a good bed of straw on the floor underneath in case he hasn't!) The accompanying photo shows him in my hands before handing to Kerry O'Connor to push him back into the nest.
Google tells me that the parents are the original adult birds and that they can go on to have three broods a year. That has happened at Parsonage twice in the past but it is very unusual. We're now into August so I can't see it happening this year but there will be a big increase in the numbers returning to Africa this year from Parsonage which is really good news. The skies are always so empty when they've gone but we can look back on the pleasure they've given us during their time here. My next and last update will be reporting on this.
Janet Brownlie"