Airmail Food Delivery
Last week I shared pictures of a male Summer Tanager feeding its chick. Dad would land on a branch close to the chick and then insert it’s beak down the chick’s throat to feed it. Karen and I went back to the Morton Arboretum Sunday to look for a Western Kingbird, a rarity in Chicagoloand. While searching I spotted four Tree Swallow chicks perched on some dead branches.
As I watched them, an adult swallow swooped in, hovered above one of the chicks, fed it and then took off for more food! It happened so quickly that I didn’t get off a shot but as I kept an eye on the chicks because they knew when more food was about to be delivered and began to flap their wings and open their beaks wide in anticipation.
As the routine continued I started pressing the shutter button as soon as the chicks became animated because I knew the adult with food was about to arrive. The adult would approach one chick and hovered as it inserted its beak into its throat, then fly off for more food. The other chick cried, “Hey, what about me?!” It then yelled at the other chick, “Mom always liked you best.”
The adult did return and fed the other chick, then repeated the procedure; fly off and get more food.
We watched a while longer but then wandered off in search of that darned Kingbird. No, we didn’t find it, but I hope you like the shots of the Airmailed food delivery.
Go Birding. Take pics. Share here. Repeat.
Mike
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