[NatureNS] Whither our Swallows

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John Belbin is quite right, as is Jim Wolford. The town is Pembroke  
and the
location of the swallow gathering place is a sandbar on the Muskrat  
River.
The book by the way, is Up North by Doug Bennet and Tim Tiner, who go
on to say that when the swallows head south, they end up in enormous
flocks in the Everglades.

Mike





On 30-Oct-07, at 11:39 AM, john belbin wrote:

> Pembroke is on the upper Ottawa River, very close to the boundary of
> Algonquin Park - which makes sense as a gathering place for  
> swallows. The
> site mentioned in the book by Mike Mcall, Kingston, has been known  
> for many
> years and is used in the tourist literature of the area to attract  
> people on
> eco tours etc. Kingston's inner harbour is (or was) on a swallow  
> migration
> route that included large areas of the shore region of Lake  
> Ontario. Tens of
> thousands of swallows would gather there in July and August - I  
> don't know
> if that is still the case. The same concentration occurred in  
> nearby Prince
> Edward County which is virtually an island sticking out into the lake.
> Sandbanks Provincial Park was a great area to see swallows at the  
> same time
> period.
>
> The quote from the book that bothers me is the reference to an  
> island in the
> river near Bancroft. I am going from memory, having spent considerable
> periods in the Bancroft area as a prospector many years ago. The  
> York River
> goes right through the town and although interesting, is hardly a  
> major
> river. I don't remember any islands, and if there were any they  
> probably
> wouldn't be big enough to house more than a few swallows, let alone  
> 175,000.
> However, maybe I missed something, I wasn't looking for swallows at  
> the
> time. There is a large lake nearby, Baptiste Lake, which seems to  
> me to have
> a few islands but that doesn't match the description.  Jim's  
> suggestion of
> Pembroke matches much better, but it is as far away from Bancroft as
> Kingston is, only in the other direction.
>
> This is an interesting line of discussion, especially if we can  
> identify
> critical points other than Brier Island for local migrations. Of  
> course the
> point may be moot if the swallow population doesn't rebound from  
> its current
> dismal levels. Does anyone know of any potential locations?
>
> John Belbin - Hantsport
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca
> [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Jim Wolford
> Sent: October 30, 2007 11:15 AM
> To: NatureNS
> Subject: FW: [NatureNS] Whither our Swallows
>
>
> Back in the days when Peter Whelan was writing wonderful weekly  
> columns in
> the Saturday Globe and Mail, there used to be huge swallow roost in  
> a big
> cattail marsh near Pembroke, Ontario, wherever that is.
>
> I know that post-fledging swallows often form big flocks during  
> that time
> leading up to emigration, and any bird that forms big flocks (except
> starlings, of course) becomes more difficult to encounter if the  
> number of
> flocks is limited.
>
> We used to have big post-fledging flocks of tree, bank, and barn  
> swallows
> perching on the wires around the Wolfville sewage ponds out on the  
> dykeland
> east of Wolfville, but apparently not so in recent years?
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
> ----------
> From: Mike McCall <mikemccall@xcountry.tv>
> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:47:50 -0300
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: [NatureNS] Whither our Swallows
>
> I recently picked up a book on nature as experienced in Ontario and
> found the answer to
> the question "Where do all the swallows disappear to after their
> young have fledged?"
> The answer for Ontaronians, that is.
>
> The authors tell me that in the interval between fledging and  
> migration,
> 175,000 swallows gather on an island in a river near Bancroft,  
> Ontario.
>
> Another 100,000 gather in the marsh near Kingston, ON, at the mouth
> of the
> Cataraqui River.
>
> To what destination do our swallows head when the kids are out of the
> nest.
> Is it in N.S.? N.B.? or is there a gathering place in Maine?
> Freeport perhaps, now that the Loonie is doing so well?
>
> Mike McCall
>
>
>
>


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<HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span">John Belbin is quite right, as is Jim =
Wolford. The town <I>is</I> Pembroke and the=A0<DIV>location of the =
swallow gathering place is a sandbar on the Muskrat River.</DIV><DIV>The =
book by the way, is Up North by Doug Bennet and Tim Tiner, who =
go=A0</DIV><DIV>on to say that when the swallows head south, they end up =
in enormous</DIV><DIV>flocks in the Everglades.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Mike</DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On =
30-Oct-07, at 11:39 AM, john belbin wrote:</DIV><BR =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Pembroke is on the upper Ottawa River, very close to =
the boundary of</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Algonquin Park - which makes =
sense as a gathering place for swallows. The</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">site mentioned in the book by Mike Mcall, Kingston, =
has been known for many</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">years and is =
used in the tourist literature of the area to attract people =
on</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: =
0px; margin-left: 0px; ">eco tours etc. Kingston's inner harbour is (or =
was) on a swallow migration</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">route that =
included large areas of the shore region of Lake Ontario. Tens =
of</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: =
0px; margin-left: 0px; ">thousands of swallows would gather there in =
July and August - I don't know</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">if that is =
still the case. The same concentration occurred in nearby =
Prince</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Edward County which is virtually =
an island sticking out into the lake.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
">Sandbanks Provincial Park was a great area to see swallows at the same =
time</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">period.</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The =
quote from the book that bothers me is the reference to an island in =
the</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">river near Bancroft. I am going =
from memory, having spent considerable</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">periods =
in the Bancroft area as a prospector many years ago. The York =
River</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">goes right through the town and =
although interesting, is hardly a major</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">river. I =
don't remember any islands, and if there were any they =
probably</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">wouldn't be big enough to house =
more than a few swallows, let alone 175,000.</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">However, maybe I missed something, I wasn't looking =
for swallows at the</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">time. There is a large lake =
nearby, Baptiste Lake, which seems to me to have</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">a few islands but that doesn't match the =
description.<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0 </SPAN>Jim's =
suggestion of</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Pembroke matches much better, =
but it is as far away from Bancroft as</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Kingston =
is, only in the other direction.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">This is an interesting line of =
discussion, especially if we can identify</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">critical =
points other than Brier Island for local migrations. Of course =
the</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">point may be moot if the swallow =
population doesn't rebound from its current</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top:=
 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">dismal =
levels. Does anyone know of any potential locations?</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">John =
Belbin - Hantsport</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; =
"><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">-----Original =
Message-----</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">From: <A =
href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.c=
a</A></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">[<A =
href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">mailto:naturens-owner@chebuc=
to.ns.ca</A>]On Behalf Of Jim Wolford</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Sent: =
October 30, 2007 11:15 AM</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">To: =
NatureNS</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Subject: FW: [NatureNS] Whither =
our Swallows</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Back in =
the days when Peter Whelan was writing wonderful weekly columns =
in</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: =
0px; margin-left: 0px; ">the Saturday Globe and Mail, there used to be =
huge swallow roost in a big</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">cattail marsh =
near Pembroke, Ontario, wherever that is.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I know that =
post-fledging swallows often form big flocks during that time</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">leading up to emigration, and any bird that forms =
big flocks (except</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">starlings, of course) =
becomes more difficult to encounter if the number of</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">flocks is limited.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">We used to =
have big post-fledging flocks of tree, bank, and barn swallows</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">perching on the wires around the Wolfville sewage =
ponds out on the dykeland</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">east of =
Wolfville, but apparently not so in recent years?</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers =
from Jim in Wolfville</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">----------</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">From: Mike McCall &lt;<A =
href=3D"mailto:mikemccall@xcountry.tv">mikemccall@xcountry.tv</A>&gt;</DIV=
><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Reply-To: <A =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A></DIV><=
DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:47:50 -0300</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">To: <A =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A></DIV><=
DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Subject: [NatureNS] Whither our Swallows</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I =
recently picked up a book on nature as experienced in Ontario =
and</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">found the answer to</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">the question "Where do all the swallows disappear to =
after their</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">young have fledged?"</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">The answer for Ontaronians, that is.</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The =
authors tell me that in the interval between fledging and =
migration,</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">175,000 swallows gather on an =
island in a river near Bancroft, Ontario.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Another =
100,000 gather in the marsh near Kingston, ON, at the mouth</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">of the</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cataraqui =
River.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">To what destination do our swallows head when the =
kids are out of the</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">nest.</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Is it in N.S.? N.B.? or is there a gathering place =
in Maine?</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Freeport perhaps, now that the =
Loonie is doing so well?</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Mike McCall</DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><BR></DIV> <BR =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></S=
PAN></BODY></HTML>=

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