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Index of Subjects This message is in MIME format. --=_0DBlpuLE-jiCD4YNtFIx4g2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed; DelSp=Yes Content-Description: Plaintext Message Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi Ron, and Fritz, Here is a neat website with some info on tree swallow nesting behaviour: http://www.treeswallowprojects.com/cboxclam.html Here in Port Williams I have maintained swallow nest boxes on our sewer treatment ponds for many years. I have always assumed; That the first birds to arrive are males and that they claim the boxes, sometimes if you peak you will notice that they have put a feather or a few bits of grass into the box. Then we always have rain and cold and poor foraging weather and that these pioneer birds find a suitable feeding area, usually over water with rich food (sewer ponds, manure soiled water) and leave the nesting area to feed for the time of cold weather. Why bother looking around for nest sights if you are on your way farther north? If you are pushing the season and arriving early, the reason could be to lessen the competition for nest sites, to arrive first and stake claim. The feather in the box would signal to others that "I'll be back!" The time away from the nesting site would allow time for the females to arrive, and to feed and fatten back up for mating. Then upon return to the nest site the fending of the site would begin. I often see males trying to joust with defending males. If there are lots of boxes the competition is less. Our sewer ponds attract large feeding congregations of swallows, of many species. These foraging birds pay little attention to the boxes and are probably the birds that are on their way to points further afield. I have about a dozen boxes on fence poles and the utility poles at the Port Williams sewer ponds . The boxes with round 1 1/2 inch holes don't get used, the round 1 - 1 1/4 inch holes are used and the oval 7/8 - 1 inch holes are always used. The hole size seems to be the most important predictor of utilization. Facing north, the box will be chosen if the hole is smaller than a south facing box with the large hole. Two boxes with the smaller holes, the one facing southeast will be chosen over the west facing. Each year most boxes are used (except the 1 1/2 round holes, but I keep hoping for bluebirds!) I think that there are so few natural cavities and the sewer ponds are such rich feeding areas that success attracting tree swallows is almost guaranteed! Some thoughts only, George Forsyth Quoting Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com>: > Hi Ron and All, > There's a good chance the Tree Swallows you observed at your boxes > will move on in a few days and 'your' Tree Swallows don't arrive for a > few more weeks. I usually get a number of early arriving Tree Swallows > here a few weeks before breeding season starts that depart after a few > days feeding and checking out the boxes and feeding. > It's my theory (and I could well be wrong) that these newly > arriving Tree Swallows breed further north (in my case > Newfoundland) and, like many migrating species, stop along the way to > rest and feed until warmer weather and food sources are prevalent enough > for them to move on to their real breeding location. > These Tree Swallows may stay and breed; but don't be surprised if > they move on after a short stay and 'your' breeding Tree Swallows don't > arrive for awhile yet. All the best. > Fritz McEvoy > Sunrise Valley CB (near Dingwall) > > > > ------------------------- > Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 08:43:55 -0300 > Subject: [NatureNS] Tree Swallows at nesting box- Somerset NS > From: solidago123@gmail.com > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > "My" Tree Swallows returned to the yard this morning and have > obviously laid claim to one of the nesting boxes. They have been going > in and out of the box and perching on top. > Their return is 7 days earlier than last year. > > Ron Wilson > Somerset NS --=_0DBlpuLE-jiCD4YNtFIx4g2 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Description: HTML Message Content-Disposition: inline <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <title></title> </head> <body style="font-family:Arial;font-size:14px"> <p>Hi Ron, and Fritz,<br> <br> Here is a neat website with some info on tree swallow nesting behaviour:<br> <br> http://www.treeswallowprojects.com/cboxclam.html<br> <br> Here in Port Williams I have maintained swallow nest boxes on our sewer treatment ponds for many years. I have always assumed; That the first birds to arrive are males and that they claim the boxes, sometimes if you peak you will notice that they have put a feather or a few bits of grass into the box. Then we always have rain and cold and poor foraging weather and that these pioneer birds find a suitable feeding area, usually over water with rich food (sewer ponds, manure soiled water) and leave the nesting area to feed for the time of cold weather.<br> <br> Why bother looking around for nest sights if you are on your way farther north? If you are pushing the season and arriving early, the reason could be to lessen the competition for nest sites, to arrive first and stake claim. The feather in the box would signal to others that "I'll be back!" The time away from the nesting site would allow time for the females to arrive, and to feed and fatten back up for mating. Then upon return to the nest site the fending of the site would begin. I often see males trying to joust with defending males. If there are lots of boxes the competition is less. Our sewer ponds attract large feeding congregations of swallows, of many species. These foraging birds pay little attention to the boxes and are probably the birds that are on their way to points further afield.<br> <br> <br> I have about a dozen boxes on fence poles and the utility poles at the Port Williams sewer ponds . The boxes with round 1 1/2 inch holes don't get used, the round 1 - 1 1/4 inch holes are used and the oval 7/8 - 1 inch holes are always used. The hole size seems to be the most important predictor of utilization. Facing north, the box will be chosen if the hole is smaller than a south facing box with the large hole. Two boxes with the smaller holes, the one facing southeast will be chosen over the west facing. Each year most boxes are used (except the 1 1/2 round holes, but I keep hoping for bluebirds!) I think that there are so few natural cavities and the sewer ponds are such rich feeding areas that success attracting tree swallows is almost guaranteed!<br> <br> <br> Some thoughts only,<br> <br> George Forsyth<br> <br> <br> <br> Quoting Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com>:</p> <blockquote style="border-left:2px solid blue;margin-left:2px;padding-left:12px;" type="cite"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr">Hi Ron and All,<br> There's a good chance the Tree Swallows you observed at your boxes will move on in a few days and 'your' Tree Swallows don't arrive for a few more weeks. I usually get a number of early arriving Tree Swallows here a few weeks before breeding season starts that depart after a few days feeding and checking out the boxes and feeding. <br> It's my theory (and I could well be wrong) that these newly arriving Tree Swallows breed further north (in my case Newfoundland) and, like many migrating species, stop along the way to rest and feed until warmer weather and food sources are prevalent enough for them to move on to their real breeding location.<br> These Tree Swallows may stay and breed; but don't be surprised if they move on after a short stay and 'your' breeding Tree Swallows don't arrive for awhile yet. All the best.<br> Fritz McEvoy<br> Sunrise Valley CB (near Dingwall) <br> <br> <br> <div> <hr id="stopSpelling"> Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 08:43:55 -0300<br> Subject: [NatureNS] Tree Swallows at nesting box- Somerset NS<br> From: solidago123@gmail.com<br> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<br> <br> <div dir="ltr">"My" Tree Swallows returned to the yard this morning and have obviously laid claim to one of the nesting boxes. They have been going in and out of the box and perching on top. <div> </div> <div>Their return is 7 days earlier than last year.</div> <div> </div> <div>Ron Wilson</div> <div>Somerset NS</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </blockquote> <p><br> <br></p> </body> </html> --=_0DBlpuLE-jiCD4YNtFIx4g2--
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