School: Killymarley (roll number 15398)

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1. The Swallow (continued)

   

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   When the mother-bird has all her eggs laid she hatches them till the young ones come out. She leaves the nest only for a short time to get food. Sometimes the male bird brings her some tit-bits to eat.

   When the young birds come out they are little bare red things. The parents are kepts very busy supplying them with food. Soon feathers appear on their bodies. When they are fully fledged the parents teach them to fly. Then they can supply themselves with food. They return to the nest at night for some time and then they forsake it altogether.

   If the weather be fine and the swallows come early they rear two and sometimes three sets of nestlings The swallow is never seen hopping round ; she always soars. When the time comes for them to leave us, we see them gathered in large flocks on the housetops or on the telegraph wires. The older birds stay until the smallest and weakest of the young ones is able to make the long journey overseas to their winter home.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. animal-lore (~1,185)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Hilda Clarke

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Hillhall, Co. Monaghan