[NatureNS] Tree Swallow box report 2019

DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
References: <DM6PR13MB325881ED112D564DC33CA221B7660@DM6PR13MB3258.namprd13.prod.outlook.com>
From: Randy Lauff <randy.lauff@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 10:13:28 -0300
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
--00000000000059e35d05960c631b
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

What, and deprive myself of sleepless nights and dysfunctional days? Just
to go the easy-peasy route?  :)

_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.


On Tue, 29 Oct 2019 at 10:01, Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com> wrote:

> HI Randy,
>      Maybe you should consider banding Tree Swallows instead of Saw-whet
> and Boreal Owls. It certainly would be easier than checking owl boxes.=F0=
=9F=99=82
> All the best.
>         Fritz
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> on
> behalf of Randy Lauff <randy.lauff@gmail.com>
> Sent: October 29, 2019 7:59 AM
> To: NatureNS
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Tree Swallow box report 2019
>
> Great work, Fritz.
>
> I installed 8 nest boxes down the road at a horse farm; I had two swallow
> nests and one chickadee nest. I'm happy with that, and will continue
> monitoring. I wish I had the skill to look at the genetics of the
> birds...it would be nice to know if the new nests are the same birds, the=
ir
> descendants, or new birds (or likely, some sort of mix).
>
> Randy
> _________________________________
> RF Lauff
> Way in the boonies of
> Antigonish County, NS.
>
>
> On Tue, 29 Oct 2019 at 04:32, Parker Donham <parker@donham.ca<mailto:
> parker@donham.ca>> wrote:
> Hi Fritz,
>
> In the past, I've had good luck with an ovoid opening on swallow boxes,
> slightly more than 1-1/2" wide and less than 1-1/2" high. Swallows with
> their small heads and broad shoulders can squeeze through this, while
> squirrels cannot. This usually worked to keep squirrels out. On occasion,
> squirrels did chew a wider opening, so what might be ideal is some sort o=
f
> sheet metal guard with a hole 1-3/4" wide and 1-1/4" high.
>
> Great that you hosted so many. Tree swallows seem to be disappearing as
> former hay fields and meadows grow up in brush.
>
> Parker
>
> On Mon., Oct. 28, 2019, 10:42 p.m. Fritz McEvoy, <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com
> <mailto:fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com>> wrote:
>
>
> Hi All,
>        I cleaned out my Tree Swallow boxes last week and the results were
> surprising good. Twenty-seven boxes were set up this season and most had
> activity of some kind. The results were:
>   27 boxes were used (1 is listed twice as it contained both a Red
> Squirrel and Tree Swallow next).
>   18 boxes contained Tree Swallow nests with signs of breeding (all had
> droppings, 2 contained egg fragments and 1 had a dead fledge). This was t=
he
> largest number of successful nests I've ever had here.
>    5 boxes had Flying Squirrel roosts/nests and one of those had an activ=
e
> Flying Squirrel inside.
>    2 boxes had Red Squirrel roosts (one was on top of a Tree Swallow nest=
)
>    3 boxes were empty
>       All the boxes had predator guards (3" plexi squares with an 1-1/2"
> entrance hole). Obviously these were somewhat unsuccessful in keeping out
> squirrels - the only pest I am concerned about. The predator guards were
> undamaged so the 1-1/2" hole size must be too big. I expect they keep out
> pregnant Red Squirrels but allow in small Red Squirrels and most Flying
> Squirrels. An 1-1/2" is the standard size given for Tree Swallow boxes -
> and for similar commercial predator guards. I'm pretty sure remaking the
> guards with an 1-3/8" hole would keep out most - if not all squirrels.  T=
he
> problem is would it also likely keep out pregnant Tree Swallows? It's
> probably something that should be researched, tested and written up about
> out by someone - just not me.
>       The weather was similar to 2018 - cold and wet in June but mostly
> hot in July. I didn't notice a large number of swallows in the area this
> summer. In fact the numbers seemed low to me. So it was quite surprising
> when 2/3 of the boxes had Tree Swallow nests with breeding evidence. Mayb=
e
> the Tree Swallow decline in this area  is not as bad as I thought. We wil=
l
> see if next season proves just as successful as this year.
>     All the best.
>       Fritz McEvoy
>       Sunrise Valley (near Dingwall) CB
>

--00000000000059e35d05960c631b
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr">What, and deprive myself of sleepless nights and dysfuncti=
onal days? Just to go the easy-peasy route?=C2=A0 :)<div><br clear=3D"all">=
<div><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_sig=
nature">_________________________________<br>RF Lauff<br>Way in the boonies=
 of<br>Antigonish County, NS.</div></div><br></div></div><br><div class=3D"=
gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Tue, 29 Oct 2019 at 1=
0:01, Fritz McEvoy &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com">fritzmcev=
oy@hotmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" st=
yle=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padd=
ing-left:1ex">HI Randy,<br>
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0Maybe you should consider banding Tree Swallows instead=
 of Saw-whet and Boreal Owls. It certainly would be easier than checking ow=
l boxes.=F0=9F=99=82 All the best.<br>
=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Fritz<br>
<br>
<br>
________________________________________<br>
From: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">na=
turens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca</a> &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebuc=
to.ns.ca" target=3D"_blank">naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca</a>&gt; on behalf=
 of Randy Lauff &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:randy.lauff@gmail.com" target=3D"_bla=
nk">randy.lauff@gmail.com</a>&gt;<br>
Sent: October 29, 2019 7:59 AM<br>
To: NatureNS<br>
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Tree Swallow box report 2019<br>
<br>
Great work, Fritz.<br>
<br>
I installed 8 nest boxes down the road at a horse farm; I had two swallow n=
ests and one chickadee nest. I&#39;m happy with that, and will continue mon=
itoring. I wish I had the skill to look at the genetics of the birds...it w=
ould be nice to know if the new nests are the same birds, their descendants=
, or new birds (or likely, some sort of mix).<br>
<br>
Randy<br>
_________________________________<br>
RF Lauff<br>
Way in the boonies of<br>
Antigonish County, NS.<br>
<br>
<br>
On