stuffed in the nest

barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
Patrick Hughes House, Cape Blanco State Park, Oregon
July 17, 2009

The historical house was closed by the time we finished our hike, so we peeked in the windows to see if we missed anything fabulous. I noticed a huge pile of bird poop on the porch railing and thought to look up. These fellows seemed too big for their nest and had incredibly large mouths. The parents were busy swooping in and out to feed the chicks. They're very cute, with highlighted yellow lips; it reminded me of an old, 1942 scratchy cartoon of baby birds.