Every year in late March a small colony of barn swallows return to our barn. Even though they tend to crap on things I've always loved 'em, and they let me approach within a few feet without getting nervous. Last week or so I noticed a couple of big owl pellets just outside the barn and a few in the barn.

No more swallows.

Anybody have this happen?

Mine just disappeared.
Population is poop.

Did owls get them? I had about 6-8 of them in the barn a week or so ago. Nary a one now.

I don't think so. I believe it has something to do with commercial berry production form a group of farmers that are in whatcom County.

Some spay goud more betr..

Front 20 was leased to a more reputable corporation for 7 years reupable
Got detailed water analytics on the water pre.
.My concern is the aquifer run for the berries to my well.
Not very far away.
I am at the end of line before it seeps out of the hillside.

Maybe your rats got em' Carl

Did you have a cold snap? I’ve had them show up then head back south (presumably) for a few days during early cold fronts.

Ours are back. They like to swarm around the mower catching bugs. Its amazing watching them catch bugs in flight.

We used to have what seemed to be millions of barn swallows within a short drive of home, the powerlines would literally be covered. Now there's only a handful

I had barn swallows in the garage once. We leave our door up. I'd chase them out and destroy their nest. They'd come back. I got sick of it one day and was going to blast them but I missed and they never came back. I figured they must be half smart.

I dislike them too. I have discouraged them from homesteading and thinking they own the place and it has seemed to help the last couple of years.

Might be the owl was just enough to move them some where. I hang a falcon/hawk decoy in the lean to and they stay out.

Well, I guess the owl didn't get them all. This morning I see one little head inside a mud waddle nest hunkered down. I'm rooting for her.

You can have mine.

I'm running out of rats. Just one in the last month.

Every year since I've been here, about 50 plus nests and barn swallows every year. 3 years ago they disappeared, not even 1 nest in all that time. A real mystery. North Idaho

I typically wear long John’s until I see the first barn swallow.

Just remember when you see all that guano all over your stuff.... how many flies and mosquitos that once was.

Got a cat that gives them problems.

Unless that cat can walk upside down there not getting any. Our barn swallows bomb the cats. They fly down, pick them on the head then fly off. It's a game to them. We had some real killer barn cats and never saw one catch a barn swallow.

Up until a couple years ago, when I would start brushhoging my fields I would have hundreds of them swooping around me. Now not a one. I thought it may have been a result of the Norfolk southern train derailment which I could see from my house. Apparently it's all over the country.

I've got the usual crowd of them in my carport... Might be a few less than normal but not noticeably so.

I was out there the other day cleaning and organizing. Ran a couple of deck screws into the side of the little breezeway storage shed to hang up a push broom. I put the screws up about 8 feet to let the broom handle hang down.

There was a swallow nest about a foot and a half away from the top of the broom.

I no sooner got done and mama swallow came back and saw the broom. She perched nearby and chirped and squawked at me until I took the broom down. So I dropped the screws down a foot or two and hung the broom back up... She seemed satisfied with that arrangement, so I left it.

Mike

Good foe you Mike.

They can have my shed. I have very few mosquitoes. Wish they ate ticks.

The mosquito thing isnt supposed to be true. You think it works?

I wonder if what you're seeing aren't cliff swallows? Different species, but still make mud nests. Around here those would be for sure cliff swallows, not barn.

We have a couple pairs at the marina, they build nests under the fixed dock....All goes well usually, but once in a while we get a big tide...they then gotta start over...

Barn swallows are never in flocks of hundreds at least that I've seen. They have a light tan breast whereas cliff swallows have white breasts.

I’ve got a half a dozen trying to set up shop in my chicken house. They drive me nuts but I figure they are just trying to make a living like me.

Well good question. I have a pond in my yard and a small river half mile from the house. Mosquitoes are not a problem. Barn swallows also hunt about every morning in front of the house after little bugs. Wish they liked Asian beetles. But they only come out of the bean fields after harvest and the swallows are gone.