It was great on Tuesday to see that some Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have returned to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. One was even checking out the local real estate market and was shocked at how expensive housing rentals are in this area.
In the wild, Tree Swallows nest in tree cavities, but they seem to adapt readily to using nesting boxes, like the one in the final photo. At this spot of the refuge there are two nesting boxes and each year there seems to be a competition between Tree Swallows and Easter Bluebirds for their use.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Tree Swallows winter farther north than any other American swallows and return to their nesting grounds long before other swallows come back. They can eat plant foods as well as their normal insect prey, which helps them survive the cold snaps and wintry weather of early spring.”
Welcome back, beautiful little swallows.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I just love swallows. Gorgeous photos x
Thanks. I love to watch swallows flying about through the air, but have found out that they are almost impossible to photograph when flying like that.
Exactly!
Nice Mike! Spring is coming!
Spring is almost here. In addition to the swallows, I also saw a couple of ospreys on Tuesday, another species that has returned after a winter in a warmer place. It won’t be long before we see egrets and green herons too and before long dragonfly season will start too.
Nice photos. As I did barn chores this morning I was thinking that pretty soon our Barn Swallows will be back. We welcome them into out barn even though they do make quite a mess, and you take your life in your hands once the babies come. But they’re so good for the environment and we get a kick out of their chatty, silly antics. It’s just a lot of clean-up when they depart in the fall.
Wow, barn swallows in a barn. I chuckled a little as I read your comment because I rarely see tree swallows in trees and have never seen barn swallows in a barn. At one of the places I visit for photography barn swallows build a nest on the underside of a raised observation platform and it is fun to watch the little birds fly by and swoop low to get to the nest.
Beautiful shots, Mike. I like that critter guard, great idea. Our tree swallows should be arriving soon, I love their acrobatic flight!
Thanks, Eliza. I too enjoy watching them dart across the sky, but it can be a frustrating challenge to photograph them in flight–their changes in direction are hard to predict.
Yes, welcome back! Beautiful pics as always. I’m having so much fun and peace listening to and watching the birds.
For me, there is a real therapeutic benefit to watching birds–it helps me to slow down my overly active mind.
Me too, Mike. I watch a channel in YouTube each day (and my puppy) by Tim Janis. And also, the Relaxation in Nature channel. These both remind me of your work (minus the music 🎶).
I thought that when I retired I would be stress-free, but it has not turned out that way, especially this past year. I have had an easier time that people who have lost their jobs or suffered loss of their homes or loved ones, but I know I have felt the weight of the forced isolation more than I might have anticipated.
I completely understand and can relate to your comments. Take care!
Yay for you, Mike. I’ve not seen any as yet. Though the Spring Peepers are loud and clear about their joy of Spring!
I have not yet been in a spot to hear the Spring Peepers, but I do recall that they can be really loud. I am sure your swallows will be along soon. Spring is definitely here, though the calendar indicates we still have a little while to wait until the official start of the new season.
Wonderful sharp photos of these beauties!
Thanks. As long as they perch, I have a chance to get some relatively sharp photos, but when the swallows take to the air, I find it almost impossible to get an in-flight shot of one flying.
I enjoyed this spring swallow post, Mike, and the whimsy of their reading abilities, too. This week our swallows returned too, something I note in my calendar each year. And no matter how many nest boxes we put up, the swallows ALWAYS spar with the bluebirds. So I’m entertained by the fact that they’re doing it in the east US too. Great fun, thank you, Mike.
Thanks, Jet. It is fascinating to hear that the bluebirds and swallows are in competition for nesting boxes on both coasts, even though the species may be slightly different.
So glad to see them here too. Fun to watch, less bug spray. Nicely done.
Thanks, Ted. Yes, one of the nice things about early spring is that the bugs have not fully appeared, though we are about to have a massive cicada emergence soon.
You should love that LOL
Welcome harbingers of spring. Here in the UK we have to wait until April before our swallows return from Africa.
That is interesting to note. There are so many signs that I associate with spring and the return of the swallows is definitely one of them, along with the blooming of daffodils and crocuses. Some of my friends have posted photos of the flowers, so I know that spring is knocking on our doors, though technically for us spring does not begin until the 20th of March, the vernal equinox.
I expect them soon in NY. It was so warm yesterday.
It was warm here too in Northern Virginia. I am hoping that I’ll be seeing butterflies soon. With a few more days of warmth, I am sure the swallows will be on their way to you too. 🙂
Gorgeous capture of the Swallow sitting on the branch tip, Mike.