[NatureNS] Re: Cliff Swallows

Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:55:53 -0300
From: Brian Dalzell <aythya@nb.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Cc: Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com>
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They are gone from many traditional spots, and hard to find nowadays.

============================

---- Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com> wrote: 
> I checked the bridge in Middleton yesterday and there were no Cliff  
> swallows.
> 
> Richard
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> Richard Stern
> Port Williams
> NS
> 
> sternrichard@gmail. com
> 
> On 2010-06-24, at 1:07 PM, Brian Dalzell <aythya@nb.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> 
> > After finishing my BBS (Breeding Bird Survey) route near  
> > Tatamagouche this morning, I decided to check on a number of swallow  
> > boxes I put up near Brule a couple years ago.  Of the 14 boxes, at  
> > least 13 are being used.  Looks like I'll have to put up some more!   
> > Habitat is perfect, tidal salt marsh bordering on hay fields.  The  
> > adults are busy bringing food, but as yet, the young have not  
> > appeared.
> >
> > If anyone is traveling through and would like to see a wonderful  
> > assemblage of swallows, there should be 100+ Tree Swallows in that  
> > area between July 1-10, which should see peak fledging.  It is  
> > located west of Tatamagouche, on the left as you are heading for  
> > Brule and River John.  The name of the lane is Cove Road, and in the  
> > Nova Scotia Atlas it is on page 29, near Waldegrave.
> >
> > Also of interest at that site was a huge flock of American  
> > Goldfinch, at least 150 by my estimate.  I've never seen such a  
> > large flock so late in the spring (or early in the summer, as it  
> > were).  They were feeding on some kind of grass heads that were just  
> > ripening.  I collected a few, and if anyone feels they can ID grass,  
> > I would gladly mail them along, as I'm quite curious to know exactly  
> > what they are.
> >
> > Other nice birds were half a dozen pair of Bobolink, with females  
> > seen carrying food.  The fields are due to be cut this weekend, so  
> > I'm trying to find out who the farmer is so I can beg him to delay  
> > (until July 10th).  Also two pairs of lusty Willets flying over the  
> > hay fields and salt marsh, six Common Terns fishing in the cove,  
> > Yellow Warblers a-plenty, and at least four Sharp-tailed Sparrows  
> > singing.  Nice spot!
> >
> > Brian Dalzell,
> > Moncton, NB.
> >
> > P.S.  There were more Tree Swallows (~40) present than can be  
> > accounted for by the number of boxes.  Perhaps these birds could not  
> > find anywhere to nest, as there are very few nest boxes for miles  
> > around.  These were all adults birds, no "brown-backs" (year-old  
> > females), so might be un-mated males.  It was very cold in Florida  
> > this winter, and males may have survived better than females....
> >

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