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=3B&nbsp=3BMost nest box websites say you should leave about 100' --f46d043be25ef5ee730513456a23 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Thanks for all the great information Fritz. Very helpful and interesting.. Ron Wilson Somerset NS On Wed, Apr 8, 2015 at 4:29 PM, Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com> wrote: > Hi All, > One of the benefits of so much snow on the ground is that I've been > able check and clean out my swallow boxes of last summers nests and > prepared them for this years breeding season without much use of ladders. > The 2014 nesting season was successful; despite a lack of much obvious > swallow activity last summer. I had 23 boxes available last year. The 24th > box had an active Flying Squirrel nest, at the time, and was left > uncleaned. > The results for 2014 were: > 13 boxes with completed nests and signs of breeding. (1 nest had an > unhatched egg) > 1 box with completed nest and signs of breeding + Red Squirrel nest > 1 box with completed nest*+ active Flying Squirrel nest. (nest left in > place) > 2 boxes with completed nests and no sign of breeding. > 2 boxes with partial nests > 1 box with partial nest + Red Squirrel nest > 3 boxes with Flying Squirrel nests (1 left uncleaned from last season) > 1 empty box > > *I didn't check for breeding evidence, as box was occupied by a Flying > Squirrel who was reluctant to leave, but this box almost always has a > breeding pair of swallows. > > I'm adding 6+/- new boxes this spring and have had to repair and > even replace a few old ones that are worse for wear. Once again, a much > easier job when the boxes are at chest high or lower. > I've been following the thread on swallow box hole size and have a > few points to add about my experiences with building and using swallow > boxes where I live - in the CB highlands. I use a 1-1/2" hole and have > found no problems with Starlings using the boxes. They occasionally check > out the boxes but I've never had a pair attempt to breed in one. I often > get squirrels using the boxes but they tend to chew the hole until it's big > enough for them to fit in. > The box size is important but not crucial. I use a 5"x5" floor and > always leave at least 6" from the hole to the floor to dissuade predators, > like Blue Jays, from reaching the eggs or chicks by sticking their heads in > the box entrance hole. I build my boxes out of old, mostly salvaged and > weathered wood. This gives them a more natural look and I never use > paint. My boxes are hung in the 7'-12' range but, as far as I can tell, no > height is preferred. > Most nest box websites say you should leave about 100' between > boxes but I have many of them much closer (25'-50') and it doesn't seem to > matter. I attach many of my boxes to live trees (apple, birch, popular > etc.) and as long as you trim away branches around the box and there is an > open flyway to enter the box they seem to work well. Having a good tree > swallow habitat (open fields, nearby water etc.) is important but you can't > normally do much about that. The only rule I always follow is to mount the > box facing away from the prevailing wind. In my case that's NW; so my boxes > all face east to south. > Hope this helps. All the best. > Fritz McEvoy > Sunrise Valley, CB (near Dingwall) > > > --f46d043be25ef5ee730513456a23 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Thanks for all the great information Fritz. Very helpful a= nd interesting..<div><br></div><div>Ron Wilson</div><div>Somerset NS</div><= /div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Wed, Apr = 8, 2015 at 4:29 PM, Fritz McEvoy <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:fr= itzmcevoy@hotmail.com" target=3D"_blank">fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com</a>></s= pan> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex= ;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> <div><div dir=3D"ltr"> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <div dir=3D"ltr">Hi All,<br>=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0 One of the benefits o= f so much snow on the ground is that I've=C2=A0been able=C2=A0check and= clean out my swallow boxes of last summers nests and prepared them for thi= s years breeding season without=C2=A0much use of ladders. The 2014 nesting = season was=C2=A0successful; despite=C2=A0a lack of much obvious swallow act= ivity last summer.=C2=A0I had 23 boxes available=C2=A0last year. The 24th = =C2=A0box had an active Flying=C2=A0Squirrel nest, at the time,=C2=A0and wa= s left uncleaned.=C2=A0<br>=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 The results for 2014=C2=A0wer= e:<br>13 boxes with completed=C2=A0nests and signs of=C2=A0breeding. (1 nes= t had an unhatched egg)<br>=C2=A0=C2=A01 box with completed nest and signs = of breeding + Red Squirrel nest<br>=C2=A0 1 box with completed nest*+ activ= e=C2=A0Flying Squirrel nest. (nest left in place)<br>=C2=A0 2=C2=A0boxes wi= th=C2=A0completed nests and no sign of breeding.<br>=C2=A0 2 boxes with par= tial nests<br>=C2=A0 1 box with partial nest + Red Squirrel nest<br>=C2=A0= =C2=A03 boxes with Flying Squirrel nests (1 left uncleaned from last season= ) <br>=C2=A0 1 empty box</div><div dir=3D"ltr">=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"ltr"= >*I didn't check for=C2=A0breeding evidence, as box was occupied by a F= lying Squirrel who was reluctant to leave,=C2=A0but this box almost always = has a breeding pair of swallows.</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br>=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 I'm adding 6+/- new boxes this spring and have had to r= epair and even replace a few old ones that are worse for wear. Once again, = a much easier=C2=A0job when the boxes are at chest high or lower.<br>=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 I've been following the thread on swallow box = hole size and have a few points to add about my experiences with building a= nd using=C2=A0swallow boxes where I live - in the CB highlands. I use a 1-1= /2" hole and have found no problems with Starlings using the boxes. Th= ey occasionally check out the boxes but I've never had=C2=A0a pair=C2= =A0attempt to breed in one. I often get squirrels using the boxes but they = tend to chew=C2=A0the hole until it's big enough for them=C2=A0to fit i= n.<br>=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 The=C2=A0box size is important b= ut not crucial. I use a 5"x5"=C2=A0floor and always leave at leas= t 6" from the hole to the floor to dissuade predators, like Blue Jays,= =C2=A0from reaching the eggs or chicks by sticking their heads in the box e= ntrance hole. I build my boxes out of old, mostly salvaged and weathered wo= od. This gives them a=C2=A0more natural look and I never=C2=A0use paint.=C2= =A0My boxes are hung=C2=A0in the 7'-12'=C2=A0range but, as far as I= can tell,=C2=A0no height is=C2=A0preferred. </div><div dir=3D"ltr">=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Most nest box websites say you should l= eave about 100' between boxes but I have many of=C2=A0them much closer= =C2=A0(25'-50') and it doesn't seem to matter. I attach many of= my boxes to live trees (apple, birch, popular etc.)=C2=A0and as long as yo= u trim away branches around the box and there is an open flyway to enter th= e box they seem to work well.=C2=A0 Having a good tree swallow habitat (ope= n fields, nearby water etc.)=C2=A0is important but you can't normally= =C2=A0do much about that.=C2=A0The only rule I always=C2=A0follow is to mou= nt the box facing away from the prevailing wind. In my case=C2=A0that's= NW; so my boxes all face east to south.</div><div dir=3D"ltr">=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Hope this helps. All the best.</div><span class=3D"HOEnZ= b"><font color=3D"#888888"><div dir=3D"ltr">=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Fritz Mc= Evoy</div><div dir=3D"ltr">=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Sunrise Valley, CB (= near Dingwall)<br>=C2=A0<br>=C2=A0<br></div> </font></span></div> </div> </div></div> </blockquote></div><br></div> --f46d043be25ef5ee730513456a23--
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