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Index of Subjects --_8ba12827-36a5-4405-b5ba-bec0bc6778e4_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Henk=2C Nancy and All=2C Having had swallow boxes for over a decade a= nd working with Randy Lauff and his owl boxes for many years I've seen lots= and lots of squirrel nests and roosts in bird boxes. There are a couple of= common factors in deciphering which species of squirrel made the nest/roo= st in the box. A nest composed mostly of shredded birch bark is almost= always a Red Squirrel nest. They can also use whatever other materials ar= e nearby=3B particularly if there are no birch trees in the area. Leaves gr= ass and found objects are often found in Red Squirrel nest/roosts. Two of t= he nest/roosts I got this year contained packing from an old cushion they f= ound in a nearby shed. Flying Squirrel nests are almost always made mo= stly of fine grasses although other materials can be found in the nest on o= ccasion. The Flying Squirrel nest I found this year was the same nest I fou= nd=2C and reported here=2C from last season containing newborn squirrels. I= left it alone and the mother must have moved the babies to a nearby altera= nt box. My understanding is that squirrels usually have number of nests/roo= sts in an area so as to be able to move quickly=2C particularly when they h= ave young=2C when disturbed. Later in the season Tree Swallows built their = nest on top of the abandoned Flying Squirrel nest=3B the first time I'd see= n that happen. Over the years I've learned that you should always tap = on the nest box when checking it for whatever reason=3B particularly in spr= ing. Birds and squirrels will usually leave the box when you approach but s= ometimes when a box contains young they are reluctant to leave=3B even afte= r tapping. This is particularly true of Flying Squirrels which=2C being noc= turnal=2C are often asleep when you check the box. You should also take= care when removing a nest/ roost from a box. Keeping your head to the sid= e of the opening carefully poke the nest=2C particularly a large one=2C wit= h a stick before removing it. This will allow the squirrel an escape route = if it's still in the nest. I've had a squirrel jump on my head and it's not= something I want to repeat=2C especially when standing on a ladder. Next t= ake care when removing the nest to check for baby squirrels It's quite easy= to dump out a bunch of baby squirrels with the nest if you aren't careful.= Once again I speak from experience. I hope this has been of some hel= p and if others have more to add or want to correct any mistakes I may have= made=2C have at it. All the best. = Fritz McEvoy Sunrise Valle= y=2C CB (near Dingwall)=20 Date: Sun=2C 5 May 2013 06:37:45 -0300 Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Tree Swallow boxes From: nancypdowd@gmail.com To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca What distinguishes Red Squirrel nests from Flying Squirrel nests in your Tr= ee Swallow boxes? Different materials? Construction? Nancy =0A= On Sat=2C May 4=2C 2013 at 8:50 AM=2C Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com= > wrote: =0A= =0A= =0A= =0A= =0A= =0A= =0A= Hi All=2C I finished spring cleaning of my Tree Swallow boxes yesterday= and the results from last year are my best ever. I have 24 boxes=2C at the= moment=2C in various locations (open field=2C field with some trees=2C old= orchard and lawn)=3B heights (7'-12') and mounts (live trees=2C power pole= s=2C and dead trees stuck in the ground). =0A= Of the 24 boxes: 2 were empty (one had a Red Squirrel nest and the oth= er was a new box in a new location)=3B 3 had partial nests with no sign of = breeding and 19 had nests with breeding evidence. Three boxes had Red = Squirrel roosts/nests on top of a Tree Swallow nests. One box contained a F= lying Squirrel nest on top of which Tree Swallows had built a nest with bre= eding evidence. The top of the swallow nest was less than 3 cm. from the bo= x opening. It's the first time I've seen Tree Swallows do this. There were = 4 boxes with unhatched eggs=3B 2 with 2 eggs and 2 with 1 egg. No dead chic= ks were found. =0A= Swallows have yet to arrive this year but I expect them any day now. = All the best. =0A= Fritz McEvoy = Sunrise Valley=2C CB (near Dingwall)=0A= =0A= =0A= = --_8ba12827-36a5-4405-b5ba-bec0bc6778e4_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <style><!-- .hmmessage P { margin:0px=3B padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 12pt=3B font-family:Calibri } --></style></head> <body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>Hi Henk=2C Nancy and All=2C<div>=  =3B  =3B Having had swallow boxes for over a decade and working wi= th Randy Lauff and his owl boxes for many years I've seen lots and lots of = squirrel nests and roosts in bird boxes. There are a couple of common facto= rs in =3Bdeciphering =3Bwhich  =3Bspecies of squirrel made the = nest/roost in the box. =3B</div><div> =3B  =3B  =3BA nest c= omposed mostly of shredded birch bark is almost always a Red Squirrel nest.= They  =3Bcan =3B<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B">also =3B</s= pan><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B">use whatever other materials are nea= rby=3B particularly if there are no birch trees in the area. Leaves grass a= nd found objects are often found in Red Squirrel nest/roosts. Two of the ne= st/roosts I got this year contained packing from an old cushion they found = in a nearby shed.</span></div><div><font size=3D"3"> =3B  =3B  = =3B Flying Squirrel nests are almost always made mostly of fine grasses alt= hough other materials can be found in the</font><font size=3D"3" style=3D"f= ont-size: 12pt=3B"> =3Bnest on occasion. The Flying Squirrel nest I fou= nd this year was the same nest I found=2C and reported here=2C from last se= ason =3B</font><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B">containing newborn sq= uirrels. I left it alone and the mother must have moved the babies to a nea= rby =3Balterant =3Bbox. My understanding is that squirrels usually = have number of nests/roosts in an area so as to be able to move quickly=2C&= nbsp=3Bparticularly</span><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B"> =3Bwhen t= hey have young=2C when =3Bdisturbed</span><span style=3D"font-size: 12p= t=3B">.</span><font size=3D"3" style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B"> =3BLater i= n the season Tree Swallows built their nest on top of the =3Babandoned&= nbsp=3BFlying Squirrel nest=3B the first time I'd seen that happen.</font><= /div><div><font size=3D"3"> =3B  =3B  =3B O</font><span style= =3D"font-size: 12pt=3B">ver the years</span><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt= =3B"> =3B</span><font size=3D"3">I've learned that you should always ta= p on the nest box when checking it for whatever reason=3B particularly in s= pring. Birds and squirrels will usually leave the box when you approach but= sometimes when a box contains young they are reluctant to leave=3B even af= ter tapping. This is particularly true of Flying Squirrels which=2C being&n= bsp=3B</font>nocturnal<font size=3D"3">=2C are often asleep when you check = the box.</font></div><div><font size=3D"3"> =3B  =3B  =3BYou sh= ould also take care when removing a nest/ roost from a box. =3B</font><= span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B"> =3BKeeping your head to the side of = the opening</span><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B"> =3Bcarefully poke= the nest=2C particularly a large one=2C with a stick before removing it. T= his will allow the squirrel an escape route if it's still in the nest. I've= had a squirrel jump on my head and it's not something I want to repeat=2C = especially when standing on a ladder. Next take care when removing the nest= to check for baby squirrels It's quite easy to dump out a bunch of baby sq= uirrels with the nest if you aren't careful. Once again I speak from experi= ence.</span></div><div><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B"> =3B  =3B=  =3B  =3BI hope this has been of some help and if others have more= to add or want to correct any mistakes I may have made=2C have at it. All = the best.</span></div><div><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B"> =3B &nbs= p=3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  = =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B =3B</span></div><div><= span style=3D"font-size: 12pt=3B"> =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  = =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B=  =3B  =3B Fritz McEvoy</span></div><div><span style=3D"font-size: = 12pt=3B"> =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B &nb= sp=3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  = =3BSunrise Valley=2C CB (near Dingwall) =3B</span></div><div><br><div><= div id=3D"SkyDrivePlaceholder"></div><hr id=3D"stopSpelling">Date: Sun=2C 5= May 2013 06:37:45 -0300<br>Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Tree Swallow boxes<br>F= rom: nancypdowd@gmail.com<br>To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<br><br><div dir=3D= "ltr"><div>What distinguishes Red Squirrel nests from Flying Squirrel nests= in your Tree Swallow boxes? Different materials? Construction?<br><br></di= v>Nancy<br></div><div class=3D"ecxgmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"ecxgma= il_quote">=0A= On Sat=2C May 4=2C 2013 at 8:50 AM=2C Fritz McEvoy <span dir=3D"ltr"><=3B= <a href=3D"mailto:fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com" target=3D"_blank">fritzmcevoy@ho= tmail.com</a>>=3B</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"ecxgmail_quote" s= tyle=3D"border-left:1px #ccc solid=3Bpadding-left:1ex=3B">=0A= =0A= =0A= =0A= <div><div dir=3D"ltr">=0A= =0A= =0A= <div dir=3D"ltr">Hi All=2C<div> =3B  =3B  =3BI finished spring = cleaning of my Tree Swallow boxes yesterday and the results from last year = are my best ever. I have 24 boxes=2C at the moment=2C in various locations = (open field=2C field with some trees=2C old orchard and lawn)=3B heights (7= '-12') and mounts (live trees=2C power poles=2C and dead trees stuck in the= ground). =3B</div>=0A= <div> =3B  =3B  =3BOf the 24 boxes: 2 were empty (one had a Red= Squirrel nest and the other was a new box in a new location)=3B 3 had part= ial nests with no sign of breeding and 19 had nests with breeding evidence.=  =3B</div><div> =3B  =3B  =3BThree boxes had Red Squirrel r= oosts/nests on top of a Tree Swallow nests. One box contained a Flying Squi= rrel nest on top of which Tree Swallows had built a nest with breeding evid= ence. The top of the swallow nest was less than 3 cm. from the box opening.= It's the first time I've seen Tree Swallows do this.<span style=3D"font-si= ze:12pt=3B"> =3BThere were 4 boxes with unhatched eggs=3B 2 with 2 eggs= and 2 with 1 egg. No dead chicks were found. =3B</span></div>=0A= <div><span style=3D"font-size:12pt=3B"> =3B  =3B  =3B Swallows = have yet to arrive this year but I expect them any day now. All the best.</= span></div><span class=3D"ecxHOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><div><span sty= le=3D"font-size:12pt=3B"><br></span></div>=0A= <div><span style=3D"font-size:12pt=3B"> =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B =  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B &nb= sp=3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B Fritz McEvoy</span></div= ><div><span style=3D"font-size:12pt=3B"> =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B=  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B &n= bsp=3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3B  =3BSunrise Valley= =2C CB (near Dingwall)</span></div></font></span></div>=0A= =0A= </div></div>=0A= </blockquote></div><br></div></div></div> </div></body> </html>= --_8ba12827-36a5-4405-b5ba-bec0bc6778e4_--
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Index of Subjects