We love our trees - planted well over 400 trees and shrubs on our once-farmland property. That's why loosing the Hickory was so hurtful – because it was “grand,” because trees are beautiful, they replenish oxygen, and they are home to the birds we love so much. So we lost the Hickory but as you can see from this photo, the Barn Swallows are at home in our Willow trees. That's good. Swallows love insects (and gnats, mosquitoes, and no-see-ums - or you-feel-ums as I like to call them - abound here).