Every year when the swallows in the South start getting ready to fly to the North to breed, I start also to get ready to go North, and we usually get there pretty much at the same time. Of course I go for a different reason than they do, but how and so ever, when I arrive, they kind of are just back, and fly around in huge flocks looking for their homes from the previous years, and the new couples look for a nice place to start their families.
This year I was very lucky, as a couple had built their nest at the side of Angie's house, between the gutters and the roof, and from my window I had a fabulous view on the goings on in that nest. I saw them sit for hours, patient and still, until the chicks hatched, and it was one of my favourite passtimes to watch mum and dad feed their kids.The gluttonous wee birds took a lot of feeding to satisfy their always hungry tums,and I felt quite sorry for the young parents. But the chicks grew very fast, and they were ready to fly long before the flight South. I watched them practice their little wings by balancing on the side of the nest and flutter said wings furiously. It was so beautiful to watch, and I was very sad when one day I saw them leave the nest for short flights, and then they just never came back.
But it was still early in the summer, and this inexperienced couple decided to have another go, and I could not believe it when I noticed them sitting on the nest again. Two chicks had managed to hatch in the end, but I feared for them, as it was now middle September, and they were too young to start flying, and the flock departed around the end of the month. The one chick was strong, and I watched him balancing on the lip of the nest, exercising his little wings like mad but the other one took longer before he started, and I had doubts about him being ready for the departure South. the strong one was already taking practice flights before the other one started practicing his wings, and  I wanted to cry, as I knew that he was going to stay behind.
Then something happened that left me speechless, and much puzzled. I was dressing for work one morning, when suddenly there was hundreds of swallows flying around, dipping and rising, and chattering like mad.  I looked in awe as the young chicks stuck their heads out of the nest, and  felt my heart give a thump when the strongest one flew out and joined his parents and the rest of the swallows who were still circling around Angie's house.The other wee thing climbed onto the lip of the nest, but as he had not got so far as to fly, he just hung there for dear life, while the flock circled, and dipped, willing the small bird to leave the nest. All in vain, but they didn't give up.
Then the strangest thing happened. From nowhere there suddenly appeared a Blue-tit, a small indigenous bird, and he flew straight at the small swallow, and knocked him off the nest. He then flew away. I was stunned, as I couldn't believe that the Blue-tit did this for the joy of it, so I had to believe that he did it to get the little swallow flying with the rest! Very, very, strange.
The small bird however fell into the gutter, and I couldn't see him anymore. I then had to rush to the hotel as I was doing breakfast, while the Swallows were still trying to make the little one come with them. When I got back that night the flock was gone, and as I couldn't see into the gutter, I wondered whether the little one was still alive or not. I felt very sad, as I also had serious doubts about the stronger one keeping up with his parents and the rest!