Kissing House Martins?

[colincurry]

At this time of year, I get a lot of fun trying to snap house martins and swifts that fly over our house. We are lucky enough to have a martins' nest under the eaves.

I spotted this pair high up. I don't often get a chance to snap more than one bird at a time; and these are the results

You can clearly see that they are communicating



I don't know what is going on here. So far as I know, the chicks have not yet fledged so parent/chick interaction seems unlikely. It looks to me like two adults. Is one passing food to the other? It does look as though they are kissing; but clearly they are not....



That's enough of that hookum



One now on its own



I have read up on house martin behaviour in my books but can find no mention of this. Any ideas, please?

Thanks

Colin

[RKB]

In most birds, when the female is developing and laying eggs, she solicits food from the male. This used to be called 'courtship feeding', but it's actually more like 'food demanding' by the female, and has gone well past the 'courting' stage and also past coffee and dash to the all-night garage - they have already mated by the time this behaviour is seen. She needs this extra food to develop the eggs. This food soliciting also goes on during incubation - the female demands food while off the nest in order to make up for the time she's sat on eggs and not able to feed.

[KentYeti]

Can't help with the behaviour, (although the above comment sounds sensible), but I think you've done very well to get those photos.

Knackered my left shoulder trying to photo the same birds a few weeks ago!

And got nothing for it.


Bryan

[colincurry]

Thanks for the explanation.

Colin