Nesting Swallows

[sheilamckenzie]

Swallows have recently built a nest just outside our front door. They appear to have finished building the nest and we have seen the female sitting on the nest. However she doesn''t seem to sit on the nest all the time and I wondered if this is normal. I thought she would need to sit on the nest constantly in order to incubate the eggs. I would welcome any comment please.

[Chaffinch]

She does not need to incubate her eggs all the time, she needs to feed and water herself. The male helps as well, by the way.

[mollykins]

Dolly the dove didn't sit on the nest all of the time and until lthey'd been hatched for a few days, we didn't realise there were two.

[wildwood]

Although she may appear to be sitting on the eggs, the bird will keep the breast feathers closed so incubation doesn't actually start yet. This dries out the nest and will enable her to lay most of her eggs before she bares her broodpatch when sitting on the eggs and actual incubation starts. While birds lay eggs some of the lower chest feathers will fall out and a patch develops that is gorged with bloodvessels which enables to skin to transfer the bird's warmth to the eggs. The chicks will thus all hatch pretty much on the same day.

As Chaffinch says, the hen may leave the eggs for a very short period to void and have a quick stretch. I am pretty sure that swallows will not feed when incubating though, it will take too long to catch enough insects to sustain her. The male will need to feed her and subsequently the young chicks.