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Index of Subjects --001a11c36be88437fb04e20ea7fc Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hans, Blake et al. I would expect it is another flying insect rather than mosquitoes. We notice a lot of mosquitoes because they are attracted to us. However most mosquitoes sit and wait on vegetation until a potential food source gets their attention. Many other insects swarm and could attract swallows. Ants (many species in NS) swarm and I suspect they have been and still are an important source for aerial insectivores. Aquatic insects such as mayflies (and yes some species are flying now in July), and caddisflies are a couple more options. Those would be my first three guesses. If anyone could either photograph or collect the insects that are attracting the swallows it would be of great value. One of the constraints in understanding the decline of swallows such as Barn Swallows, Bank Swallows and Cliff Swallows is that we know relatively little about what foods they eat through the few months they spend in NS. Given there are 10,000 plus species of insects in NS, just knowing they eat insects does not provide much understanding. Saw my first Common Nighthawk of the fall migration at Cape Breton University as the big thunderstorm lit up the sky yesterday evening (20 July 2013). I suspect that ants seeking mates are a major source of food for nighthawks through the next month or so. But this is speculation rather than solid observation. Can someone disprove my idea? DBMcC David McCorquodale Georges RIver, NS On Sun, Jul 21, 2013 at 8:52 PM, Hans Toom <htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca> wrote: > ** > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Hans Toom <htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca> > *To:* NS-RBA <NS-RBA@yahoogroups.com> > *Sent:* Sunday, July 21, 2013 8:51 PM > *Subject:* Hundreds of Cliff Swallows in Portuguese Cove > > Leona MacAdam phoned Blake Maybank via Nova Scotia Bird Society listing. > Blake gave Leona my phone number and I went over immediately, a 30 second > drive. There are Cliff Swallows by the hundred hawking mosquitoes around > the high ground at the top of Camperdown Road so go up to the top of the > hill and just look around. There are likely other species of > swallows present as well. Leona does not want lots of visitors to her place > but it won't be necessary to go to her place in any case because the > swallows are wide ranging in the area. I'll try photographing the display > tomorrow morning. > > Hans > > _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ > Hans Toom > Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada > http://www.hanstoom.com/ > --001a11c36be88437fb04e20ea7fc Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times">Hans, B= lake et al.</span><br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"><br styl= e=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"><span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);fo= nt-family:Times">I would expect it is another flying insect rather than mos= quitoes.=A0 We notice a lot of mosquitoes because they are attracted to us.= =A0 However most mosquitoes sit and wait on vegetation until a potential fo= od source gets their attention.=A0 Many other insects swarm and could attra= ct swallows.=A0 Ants (many species in NS) swarm and I suspect they have bee= n and still are an important source for aerial insectivores.=A0 Aquatic ins= ects such as mayflies (and yes some species are flying now in July), and ca= ddisflies are a couple more options.=A0 Those would be my first three guess= es.</span><br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"> <br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"><span style=3D"color:rgb(0= ,0,0);font-family:Times">If anyone could either photograph or collect the i= nsects that are attracting the swallows it would be of great value.=A0 One = of the constraints in understanding the decline of swallows such as Barn Sw= allows, Bank Swallows and Cliff Swallows is that we know relatively little = about what foods they eat through the few months they spend in NS.=A0 Given= there are 10,000 plus species of insects in NS, just knowing they eat inse= cts does not provide much understanding.</span><br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0= );font-family:Times"> <br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"><span style=3D"color:rgb(0= ,0,0);font-family:Times">Saw my first Common Nighthawk of the fall migratio= n at Cape Breton University as the big thunderstorm lit up the sky yesterda= y evening (20 July 2013).=A0 I suspect that ants seeking mates are a major = source of food for nighthawks through the next month or so.=A0 But this is = speculation rather than solid observation.=A0 Can someone disprove my idea?= </span><br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"> <br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"><span style=3D"color:rgb(0= ,0,0);font-family:Times">DBMcC</span><br><br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font= -family:Times"><span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times">David McC= orquodale</span><br style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times"> <span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times">Georges RIver, NS</span>= <br></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On = Sun, Jul 21, 2013 at 8:52 PM, Hans Toom <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"ma= ilto:htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca" target=3D"_blank">htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca</a>>= </span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u> <div bgcolor=3D"#ffffff"> <div>=A0</div> <div style=3D"FONT:10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20 <div style=3D"BACKGROUND:#e4e4e4"><b>From:</b> <a title=3D"htoom@hfx.eastli= nk.ca" href=3D"mailto:htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca" target=3D"_blank">Hans Toom</a= >=20 </div> <div><b>To:</b> <a title=3D"NS-RBA@yahoogroups.com" href=3D"mailto:NS-RBA@y= ahoogroups.com" target=3D"_blank">NS-RBA</a> </div> <div><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, July 21, 2013 8:51 PM</div> <div><b>Subject:</b> Hundreds of Cliff Swallows in Portuguese Cove</div></d= iv> <div><br></div> <div><font face=3D"Arial">Leona MacAdam phoned Blake Maybank via Nova Scoti= a=20 Bird Society listing. Blake gave Leona my phone number and I went over=20 immediately, a 30 second drive. There are Cliff Swallows by the hundred haw= king=20 mosquitoes around the high ground at the top of Camperdown Road so go up=A0= to=20 the top