Backyard Birds: Barn Swallow

I was working in the yard this week and looked up to find this beautiful bird perched on my gutter.  I had no idea what type of bird it was so I headed to Google.  It appears to be a female Barn Swallow.   

This is the first time that I've seen a Barn Swallow.  I think she has very distinct features.  Look at the long, forked tail and the color around the head and beak.  The feathers are glossy and quite striking. 

She had a baby with her, but he disappeared when I went inside to get the camera.  she seemed pretty content where she was.  While Googling, I learned some interesting facts about the Barn Swallow.  They like to build their nest under eaves.  I hope she hasn't selected my roof.  Here are a few other interesting facts:  

• Barn Swallow migrate between South America and North America.  No this is not a typo, they can travel 14,000 miles between winter and summer.  
• They usually live around 8 years. 
• The dine mostly on insects.  They feed mostly in flight since insects are a large portion of their diet; however, they will eat egg or oyster shells from a platform feeder.  
• Their nests are made of mud and grass and are usually build on man made structures.  
• Barn Swallows habitat across most of the country. 
• They are very difficult to attract.  They like to be near streams, ponds and other sources of flowing water.  (My wet weather stream just happened to be running after 4 inches of rain and this may be the reason I was able to spot them).  

As I was writing this post I spotted the male Barn Swallow, which was a beautiful black and blue.   I didn't have my camera.  I'm glad I spotted this beauty since it is rare to get this close to them. Are you a bird watcher?  What backyard birds are prevalent in your area?  

Note:  Resource