BANK SWALLOW 409 



During the first few days of life the young bank swallow is brooded almost 

 constantly by one or the other parent. General observations indicated that 

 the parents probably share about equally in the task of carrying food and in 

 removing pellets of excrement from the nest. * * ♦ 



Usually the nestling expels a pellet of excrement immediately after being 

 fed, and this pellet is then carried away by the parent upon its next visit. 

 The pellet may be dropped just outside the mouth of the burrow or carried 

 farther — * * * The parent may swallow some of the pellets, especially 

 those appearing during the first days of the nestling's life. 



The young usually discharge the pellets on the edge of the nest, and seldom 

 in it. With young approximately 7 to 12 days old the pellets are often de- 

 posited in a little group a few inches from the nest. By aid of a beam of 

 light, young were observed to crawl out of the nest to defecate, and then to 

 sliufQe back again. The returning parents begin at once to remove the pellets, 

 and keep at the task until it is finished. 



Beyer (1938) writes "Sometimes while the female was brooding 

 the young the male would squeeze himself in beside her on the nest 

 and then actually push her off. She would leave reluctantly and 

 return in a few seconds. Sometimes while the male was foraging 

 lie would come back to the entrance of the burrow, twittering cheer- 

 ful]}^, look in for a second or two as if to see that everything was 

 all right, then fly away." 



Stoner (193Gb) noted that the earliest date in which young of the 

 year were able to fly was on June 18 (1931), when three individuals 

 were flushed from a nest. The following day a few young swallows 

 flew from their nests, apparentl}'^ in their first aerial excursion. 

 These birds launched themselves boldly into the air, with a sharp 

 twitter and vigorous flapping of wings. At first their progress 

 was wavering but steadied as they gained momentum. They soon 

 tired and usually circled back to the home bank, to enter any con- 

 venient burrow. One bird was seen to fall into the creek after a 

 short flight. It flapped its way over the surface for a distance of 

 40 yards and landed safely on the bank. Another swallow that had 

 dropped into a pool of water flapped along for a few feet and after 

 gaining strength and steadiness rose into the air and continued its 

 flight until lost in the distance. After leaving the home burrow 

 for the first time the young bank swallows often return to it to rest 

 or to receive food, at more or less frequent intervals. Later they 

 return only for the night. Then, as the season advances, less and 

 less time is spent at the burrows until, by July 25, approximately, 

 practically all the first brood young have permanently left the lo- 

 cality in which they were reared. For a few days after their first 

 flights the birds of the year often congregate about the home bank, 

 twittering and flying in and out of tlie burrows, dusting themselves 

 in the sand and disporting themselves in apparently carefree fash- 

 ion. It is while perched on the sandy ledges below or near the 

 burrows that these young of the season first engage in excavating 



