Hey there 2T--You know, it may not have been the heat that brought disaster to those swallows of your. It is a known behavioural trait that swallows that want to take over a nest will throw the chicks out and make way for their own. Also if the female would loose her mate and finds a new male, he will sometimes throw those chicks out to make way for their own. I am not saying that the heat did not cause the disaster there...just that there are other reasons for chicks to be found out of the nest and on the ground below. Aside from this cow birds and coo-coo chicks will also push out host chicks out of the nest; however, I think it unlikely that a cow-bird is the culprit here. Can you climb up and see into the nest?
@Sjoerd - very interesting re: swallows. Never knew that but really a good alternate theory to the heat up by a roof.
Sj we have several swallow families nesting in our barn. I have never heard that about them doing such a thing with other nests. Hummm, I will have to research that and see if that could be the culprit. I know it wasn't cowbirds as they are no longer a threat at this late in the summer. It would be hard to see into the nest as it is about 30ft off the ground. It has never happened before even with other swallows nesting in the barn.
