If you look at the currently published range maps (which are usually several years behind to start with for almost all species…) for American cliff swallows, they are not supposed to be in coastal Mississippi.  When we moved back to coastal Mississippi a few years ago, there were cliff swallows nesting under a bridge just up the river from our rental house, and I found another colony under yet another bridge that was easy (okay, relatively easy) to get some decent shots of them nesting.  And in all cases in Mississippi, I’ve seen a mix of cliff swallows and barn swallows.

I had taken pictures of barn swallows gathering mud to build nests several years ago (when I was still shooting film), but had never had a chance to do that again.  They only build nests for a 2-week or so period every year.  I guess I was in the right place at the right time because I got the chance to photograph not only barn swallows, but also cliff swallows gathering mud to build nests recently.

The barn swallows landed on relatively thick mud and pecked up a ball of mud, sometimes picking up small fiberous sticks and roots first.  The cliff swallows “hover landed” over very soft mud and pecked up a more gooey ball of mud.

Here’s a pair of cliff swallows fluttering as they pick up mud.

And here is a barn swallow picking up a beak of mud for it’s nest.

The two different species build nests that look different as well.  The cliff swallows build a vase-shaped nest with a narrow tube opening.

The barn swallows build a cup-shaped nest that is open at the top.

Both nests are amazing works of architectural art work, especially when you realize that they are built from mud with a few sticks, roots and feathers mixed in without the use of hands!