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<DIV style=3D" ---1879531-204785438-1359908982=:50321 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Sounds like Cousin knows what she is talking about Andy.In the old days Hou= se Sparrows used to be connected with smallherds of cattle. Nearly everyone= on small farms kept maybe 20 cows.and a flock of about the same number of = sparrows.The cows provided food and shelter to the birds.In addition mosqui= to and numerous other flies likes the cows.Never tent near a cow pasture!Sw= allows loved the flies and always there was a flock of swallows withthe cow= s. The cows kept the mud around the drinking tub churned up=A0so it was eas= y for the swallows=A0to build their nest. Once finished, the sparrows chase= d away the swallows=A0and =A0took over the nest site - filled it full of st= raw and raised their brood leaving=A0the swallows t build another nest.When= the small herds of cattle disappeared so did the swallows and the sparrows= .Someone had a quote about pulling on one thing in nature and the effects r= ipple out.The case here!Paul --- On Sun, 2/3/13, Andy Dean <aadean@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: From: Andy Dean <aadean@ns.sympatico.ca> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] House Sparrows To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Received: Sunday, February 3, 2013, 7:54 AM =0A=0A =0A =0A=0A=0A=0AI=A0mailed=A0my English cousin where they are having= the same =0Atrend.=0AHer reply:=0AIn=A0some way it is global warming but a= big factor is loss of habitat. =0AThe loft insulation and uvpc soffats=A0a= nd building regulations have deprived =0Athem of traditional nesting sites.= ....plus as a country we seem to be hell bent =0Aon covering the entire Bri= tish Isles in concrete. We are building houses just =0Aabout anywhere witho= ut regard for services let alone wildlife..=0A=A0=0AAndy and Lelia Dean 86 Baden Powell =0Adrive, Kentville,=A0 N.S. B4N 5P5=0A=A0=0A(902) 678-6243 aadean@ns.sympatico.ca =A0=0A=0A ----- Original Message ----- =0A From: =0A P.L. Chalmers =0A = To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca =0A Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2013 10:46 = =0A PM=0A Subject: [NatureNS] House Sparrows=0A =20 John Sollows' remark about House Sparrows reminds =0A me of a belated obse= rvation I intended to post.=A0=20 I was interested =0A to hear Ian McLaren and James Hirtle interviewed on I= nformation Morning two =0A weeks ago concerning the decline of House Sparr= ows.=A0 I have walked the =0A same mile-long route to work in the mornings= for about twenty years.=A0 =0A When I first moved here, there were five l= ocations along the way where there =0A were resident colonies of House Spa= rrows.=A0 Gradually they =0A disappeared.=A0 I wanted to confirm my impres= sion of this, so I have made a =0A point of observing every day recently a= s I walk, and I haven't seen a single =0A House Sparrow.=A0 I know there a= re still a few=A0 in the vicinity of the =0A last stop: they must have mov= ed to a different feeder just out of range for =0A me, but there=A0 have b= een none at the other four stations for some time, =0A despite the fact th= at the people there still feed birds.=A0=A0 =0A =20 It is striking how they have declined.=A0 I found it difficult to =0A conf= irm their breeding in some of my Atlas squares in Annapolis County a few = =0A years ago. Patricia L. Chalmers Halifax At 06:00 AM =0A 02/02/2013, you wrote: =0A Over the past couple or three =0A decades down Yarmouth way, mornin= g doves are one of those species which =0A have gone from being relatively noteworth= y to being highly =0A commonplace.=A0 More or less the reverse of the house = =0A sparrow story! -----Original Message----- From: =0A naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [ =0A mailto:naturens-owner@c= hebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of P.L. =0A Chalmers Sent: February-01-13 11:30 PM To: =0A naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mourning Doves - Can they =0A become =0A pest= s? Don, =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =0A That's interesting.=A0 Your neighbourhood w= as checked during =0A the Christmas Bird Count, and none were found then.=A0 However, in =0A recen= t years there was a good-sized flock that moved around from the foot =0A of Spri= ngvale Avenue to just south of Mount Olivet Cemetery, which isn't =0A all that = far from you.=A0 I did that area this year, and didn't find =0A them. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =0A Cheers, =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =0A Patricia At 10:45 PM 01/02/2013, you wrote: >I now have about =0A 16 Mourning Doves coming to my backyard near the= =20 >Halifax Shopping =0A Centre (none in previous years).=A0 They must be m= aking =0A =20 >incursions into the city. > >Don > >Don =0A MacNeill >donmacneill@bellaliant.net >----- Original Message =0A ----- >From: "P.L. Chalmers" =0A <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca> >To: "NatureNS" =0A <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> >Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 9:53 =0A PM >Subject: [NatureNS] Mourning Doves - Can they become =0A pests? > > >During the recent cold spell I was more =0A generous than usual in stoc= king=20 >my feeders.=A0 There was more =0A spillage of seed, and to my surprise = I now=20 >have up to six Mourning =0A Doves coming to feed.=A0 This might not see= m=20 >unusual to many of =0A you, but MoDo's are not common on the Halifax=20 >Peninsula.=A0 In =0A fact last year was the first time that I had even = one of=A0=20 >these =0A lovely birds in my yard.=A0 In my limited experience of them = in =0A =20 >Bedford, they roosted and nested in trees, and were pretty =0A unobtrus= ive.=A0=20 >I was wondering, though, have they become a pest, =0A like pigeons, in= =20 >places where they are numerous? Will they roost =0A around buildings? > >Patricia L. =0A Chalmers >Halifax=0A ---1879531-204785438-1359908982=:50321 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <table cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" border=3D"0" ><tr><td valign=3D"= top" style=3D"font: inherit;">Sounds like Cousin knows what she is talking = about Andy.<div>In the old days House Sparrows used to be connected with sm= all</div><div>herds of cattle. Nearly everyone on small farms kept maybe 20= cows.</div><div>and a flock of about the same number of sparrows.</div><di= v>The cows provided food and shelter to the birds.</div><div>In addition mo= squito and numerous other flies likes the cows.</div><div>Never tent near a= cow pasture!</div><div>Swallows loved the flies and always there was a flo= ck of swallows with</div><div>the cows. The cows kept the mud around the dr= inking tub churned up </div><div>so it was easy for the swallows = <span style=3D"font-size: 10pt;">to build their nest. Once finished, the sp= arrows chased away the swallows </span><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt;= ">and took over the nest site - filled it full of straw