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--Boundary_(ID_kMNc4LPAAC1KZeTRCPL0sQ) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Hi Marg and Anne, As was suggested, feathers are a main component of a Tree Swallow's nest lining. However, the number they use is really restricted to the availability of suitable feathers. I've seen many nests lined with dozens of feathers, and they don't have to be white either. I've found nest boxes packed exclusively with non-white, Duck feathers. Regarding the swooping, feather behaviour, everyone should, at least once in their lives, take a bag of feathers (contour/body feathers work best and are preferred) out to an area where swallows nest when there is a steady wind blowing and let them fly into the wind. It is a perfect way to appreciate the flying ability of these birds up close. Non-dyed feathers can be purchased from craft stores. They can be released from an elevated position or by using a pole with a small loop at the top in which to settle the feather and raise it high into the wind (a clothespin taped to an broom handle works quite nicely). I'm fortunate to have many pairs of Tree Swallows nesting on my farm and depending on the release point I've seen 6-8 Tree Swallows, as well as a local pair of Barn Swallows, in the air at the same time vying for feathers. Make sure you have a good number of feathers as they usually won't stop taking the feathers until you have no more. Be prepared; the competition for feathers often gets noisy as territorial lines are crossed in the rush for feathers. This work's best if the swallows are incubating eggs/young as it's at this time that they collect the majority of the feathers. Regarding the grasp-release-grasp-release behaviour, I've thought this might be a way they test the quality of feathers through their buoyancy. Of course what's not good for one swallow is often good enough for another (or perhaps even the same one) as re-releasing a discarded feather usually results in it being taken on the second try. However, they're such amazing flyers that I'm quite happy to agree with your suggestion that they do it as play, simply because they can and it's fun. All the best, Lance ==================== Lance Laviolette Glen Robertson, Ont. ==================== ________________________________ From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Marg Millard Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 5:23 PM To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: [NatureNS] White Point birds Hi Marg, I saw a similar swallow+feather behaviour years ago, but no one could ever tell me what it signified. In that case, it was a single bird and a single white feather; the swallow would catch the feather in flight, make a loop back around to roughly where it started, release the feather, loop back around and catch it again as it drifted. Eventually the feather came to earth and the "game"(?) ended. If memory serves, it was early in the season, so likely not a juvenile practising, and I thought if it was some sort of selection process for nesting material it went on rather a long time. Cheers, A. Woolaver ............................ Hi A. I am glad someone else has seen this. It was so neat!! I know each swallow nest here for the past 20 years has had beautiful "cup" of white feathers in it, usually three sometimes fewer. I haven't seen one without any, never more. Dirty by the time the nest is abandoned. I wondered if it was a mating thing. I have seen the birds arrive and struggle to get the feathers in the house, sometimes a big job from the look of things. Just getting the feathers and getting them to nest locations must be a lot of work. The feathers are bigger than the birds. I have wondered for years where they went to get them. Marg Millard, White Point http://MargMillard.ca --Boundary_(ID_kMNc4LPAAC1KZeTRCPL0sQ) Content-type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=us-ascii" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18904"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY background="" bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010>Hi Marg and Anne,</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010>As was suggested, feathers are a main component of a Tree Swallow's nest lining. However, the number they use is really restricted to the availability of suitable feathers. I've seen many nests lined with dozens of feathers, and they don't have to be white either. I've found nest boxes packed exclusively with non-white, Duck feathers. </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010>Regarding the swooping, feather behaviour, everyone should, at least once in their lives, take a bag of feathers (contour/body feathers work best and are preferred) out to an area where swallows nest when there is a steady wind blowing and let them fly into the wind. It is a perfect way to appreciate the flying ability of these birds up close.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010>Non-dyed feathers can be purchased from craft stores. They can be released from an elevated position or by using a pole with a small loop at the top in which to settle the feather and raise it high into the wind (a clothespin taped to an broom handle works quite nicely). </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=684582621-09062010>I'm fortunate to have many p