Drema, I don't think we can ever have too many pics of pets, kids (grown or otherwise) or gardens! So glad the new baby is settling in so well and the "old folks" are so comfortable with having her around. Love that picture of the three of them on the watering hole-Ginger made me laugh with her butt in the pot. She doesn't look so sure about her finery, though-teehee. Your boys both look like fun to have around-good looking family, too!

Well the good news is that the nest is only slightly damp around the edges. The wood inside the box is damp too. I think the Duck feathers shed the rain right to the sides of the nest. Smart Mom. The even better news is that it has only made it up to 68. Tomorrows forcast has been revised to inclued strong thundershowers but now only 84 as a high. Rain will end Sat with a high of 83. I am leaving the vents taped, 68 is a little cool but Mom is on the babies now and I am sure all will be fine. Karen, it should have stopped raining there by now...so I don't think we are going to have to try flinging crickets! LOL Donna, I think your babies will be fine ( I forgot are these TRES or Blues)? I thought I warned you earlier that just when you thought you made it through all your worries a whole new set would pop up! Lots of posts in April on "how do I keep my babies warm" now we are moving on to "how do I keep my babies cool" LOL There have been some very inovative things done from putting a big smiley umbrella over the box to covering the box in styrafoam. I take an ice pack and put ON TOP of the box (not in) and cover it with a towel during the hotest part of the day. Don't really know if it helps the birds but it helps *ME* Right now your Mom is taking care of temp controll. Go back and look at pages from last summer, I am sure you will get a kick out of some of the things we have done to our boxes!

I would think they would still be feeding it, they won't forget there is still one in there. They do sometimes withold food though to try to get them to fledge. Last year however I did find one fully feathered TRES baby in the nestbox when I went to clean out the boxes. I think it just couldn't get up and out the hole and the adults must have given up on it. The box did not have kerfs (built by some boy scouts) but it never caused a problem before, hole isn't more than 5 inches from the floor. I suppose I should have added some kind of ladder to the inside to prevent this from happening again but I never did. Most of our boxes here have six nestlings each, only three with five, one has seven. Last checked that one on day 12 and they all looked fine, I am hoping all seven make it and fledge, they are on about day 15 today so later this week they should be fledging. I have one box on day 17 right now and they are majorly peeking. They are in Gilwood boxes so multiple babies can look out at the same time. Donna

Our weather has turned around, not normal temps yet but in the 60's so I believe those that were still alive yesterday will all make it. Glad you were able to assist yours Lisa, with only one parent it would make it alot harder. I really think in the case here that it was more the cold that killed them (highs 47-50...lows 30's-low 40's) then the starvation but it could have been a combination. I only say this because we didn't have a total loss. The ones that survived this 3 day cold wet spell were either the ones that were fully feathered (1 box) or those that were still being kept warm by the mom (4 boxes). Those that were inbetween (3 boxes)...too big to be sat on by mom and yet didn't have all their feathers yet were the ones that died. Maybe feeding them would have helped but with eight nestboxes of Swallows I wouldn't have known who needed help and who I might have put at a greater risk by opening the nestboxes, Sunday was the only non rainy day however it was misty and very very windy. However like all things this gives us better knowledge so if something like this were to happen again I could know who to try to help. What did you use for a nestchange, did you buy something at the store? Just curious there would have been nothing here dry enough to use anyway but when I did pull the three nests out of the boxes that we lost there was only one that was wet, the other two were dry. Also what other instructions were you given, you said you followed them to a T but didn't explain them all. Did you use small waxworms, what did you use to give the worms to the swallows? How on earth did you open the box, hold an umbrella, feed the babies and be able to see what the heck you were doing at the same time? Usually I check the swallows nests with a mirror however yesterday when I was checking for the ones we lost I used a small step ladder to make sure I wouldn't miss anything. It sure must have been quite the task to feed your swallows but I commend you for trying to help them. Great job, I hope yours make it. Is the weather better there yet?? Donna