A couple of months ago, our back porch was invaded by a couple of Barn Swallows. They’re colorful birds that build bowl-shaped mud nests. Our invasion force picked our porch for such a nest and we decided to let them go ahead and build.

A few days ago we started hearing high-pitched chirps coming from the nest. Both mother and father Swallows got involved in feeding their three babies. Click here to listen to what these babies sound like when they’re excited.

If I get anywhere near this nest, the parent birds have a fit: chirping their warnings as they dive bomb in my vicinity. That’s what I call protective parenting.