They seem like they're really in love [UPDATED]

A pair of nesting swallows have been at our front door since the day we moved in.  Sweet but remarkably messy birds, they're quiet and adorable when they're on the nest.  One sits almost all the time, while the other's out doing birdish things during the day.  But they both return each night. To sit side-by-side and encourage one another with gentle nudges and soft words.  One presumes.

It's no fun, having a pile of bird poop, feathers, and nest-detritus next to your front door.  It's unsightly.  But having two nesting birds there to meet you and your six-year-old as you walk out of the house each morning is truly priceless.

Today: eggshells on the doormat among the other jetsam.  And two very fresh, new baby swallows in the nest.

Update 07 July 2011: Counting beaks we have determined there have been as many as four hatchlings in the nest.  However, there have now likewise been two known fatalities at our front door. Both accidental, one presumes.  In each case, falling from the nest would seem the most likely cause of death.  It is a cruel world.  Even baby birds cannot escape this fact.