You know what, Cathy, I am wrong. It does open from the top so that's not what the problem was; it was the mesh right below the opening. Do you think I can remove that? Or should I put the screws right through the wire? He is out there singing loudly this morning and I know what's coming. I caught a few early in the season with my repeating trap but some animal kept knocking it over in the night so I stopped using it. I may have to set it up again. As I said in a post earlier in the season my new next door neighbor had a sparrow nest on either end of his roof, so figure 10 baby sparrows each nesting. I may be in trouble here.

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

I don't know the reason, but I had one die last year. There were only two in the box, so I doubt a lack of food. They were both alive and fully feathered on the last nest check. I didn't realize one had died until after fledge time when I went to clean out the box. There were no signs of parasites or injury, so I guess sometimes it just happens.

Oh how I read your posting and my heart goes out to you. I lost my sweet Dad too, it was 2 years ago in August. So many of the details that you described about your Dad's condition were present with my Dad too. Your story brought back my memories. I know losing someone that you love so much is just gut wrenching. It is so tramautic. To me, it's like post tramautic stress disorder, the act of losing that special person is so mentally draining, something you only go through when you love someone so much. After I lost my Dad, well it was so hard. But my Mom was so miserable without my Dad. We all immediately focused on helping Mom to manage without him. But 7 months later we lost Mom. Mom was my best friend, along with my Dad. Now there both gone. How do I manage without them? I don't even know. I was so very lost in the beginning, and so very angry. There were so many unforgiveable surrounding circumstances. So many things made it harder to bear. I, too am so sad that my kids don't have their grandparents, that loved them so much, and I feel so cheated. They still have a paternal grandpa, but it's not the same. And it IS hard to hear them talk about my husband's father. But I'm glad my husband has HIS dad, and I talk about MY parents to them. And show them things they bought them, and cards from them. And we have pictures and some videotape of them, of course I haven't been able to watch those yet. I just think that your grief never completely goes away. But you do figure out how to get by each day without them. Other things and people come into the picture to help you figure that out. I'm just sad now, not so angry anymore. I guess because I believe in Heaven and I believe they are there. And I look forward to seeing them again. And I believe they are together and in no more pain. I am sad that they miss out on my life but I believe they can see me and my family and I look to the sky for them. Death is a part of life but we still never want to let go. I would have been just of sad had my parents lived to be 100. Just hang in there. Love your children and your husband each day. Thank God for them and for the time you had with your Dad. I've been reading a book "Motherless Daughters". It is very validating for me with my feelings but it also reminds me of how so many people lost their parents before they were even grown. I'm so glad my parents got to see my kids. My last child was an unexpected girl, after 2 boys. I'm so glad that they knew her and could share in those moments with me. Hugs to you.