[NatureNS] Tree Swallow box contents for 2014 season

From: Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com>
To: naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2015 16:29:12 -0300
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Hi All=2C
      One of the benefits of so much snow on the ground is that I've been a=
ble 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=3B despite a lack of much obvious swallow act=
ivity last summer. I had 23 boxes available last year. The 24th  box had an=
 active Flying Squirrel nest=2C at the time=2C and was left uncleaned.=20
    The results for 2014 were:
13 boxes with completed nests and signs of breeding. (1 nest had an unhatch=
ed 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 pl=
ace)
  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)=20
  1 empty box *I didn't check for breeding evidence=2C as box was occupied =
by a Flying Squirrel who was reluctant to leave=2C but this box almost alwa=
ys 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=2C a much easie=
r job when the boxes are at chest high or lower.
      I've been following the thread on swallow box hole size and have a fe=
w 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 p=
roblems with Starlings using the boxes. They occasionally check out the box=
es 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 t=
hem to fit in.
       The box size is important but not crucial. I use a 5"x5" floor and a=
lways leave at least 6" from the hole to the floor to dissuade predators=2C=
 like Blue Jays=2C from reaching the eggs or chicks by sticking their heads=
 in the box entrance hole. I build my boxes out of old=2C mostly salvaged a=
nd weathered wood. This gives them a more natural look and I never use pain=
t. My boxes are hung in the 7'-12' range but=2C as far as I can tell=2C no =
height is preferred.        Most nest box websites say you should leave abo=
ut 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=2C b=
irch=2C 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.  Havin=
g a good tree swallow habitat (open fields=2C nearby water etc.) is importa=
nt 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=3B so my boxes all face east to south.      Hope this helps. All the b=
est.                 Fritz McEvoy                  Sunrise Valley=2C CB (ne=
ar Dingwall)
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Hi All=2C<br>&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B &nbsp=3B One of the =
benefits of so much snow on the ground is that I've&nbsp=3Bbeen able&nbsp=
=3Bcheck and clean out my swallow boxes of last summers nests and prepared =
them for this years breeding season without&nbsp=3Bmuch use of ladders. The=
 2014 nesting season was&nbsp=3Bsuccessful=3B despite&nbsp=3Ba lack of much=
 obvious swallow activity last summer.&nbsp=3BI had 23 boxes available&nbsp=
=3Blast year. The 24th &nbsp=3Bbox had an active Flying&nbsp=3BSquirrel nes=
t=2C at the time=2C&nbsp=3Band was left uncleaned.&nbsp=3B<br>&nbsp=3B&nbsp=
=3B&nbsp=3B The results for 2014&nbsp=3Bwere:<br>13 boxes with completed&nb=
sp=3Bnests and signs of&nbsp=3Bbreeding. (1 nest had an unhatched egg)<br>&=
nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B1 box with completed nest and signs of breeding + Red Squirr=
el nest<br>&nbsp=3B 1 box with completed nest*+ active&nbsp=3BFlying Squirr=
el nest. (nest left in place)<br>&nbsp=3B 2&nbsp=3Bboxes with&nbsp=3Bcomple=
ted nests and no sign of breeding.<br>&nbsp=3B 2 boxes with partial nests<b=
r>&nbsp=3B 1 box with partial nest + Red Squirrel nest<br>&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B3=
 boxes with Flying Squirrel nests (1 left uncleaned from last season) <br>&=
nbsp=3B 1 empty box</div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp=3B</div><div dir=3D"ltr">*I=
 didn't check for&nbsp=3Bbreeding evidence=2C as box was occupied by a Flyi=
ng Squirrel who was reluctant to leave=2C&nbsp=3Bbut this box almost always=
 has a breeding pair of swallows.</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br>&nbsp=3B&nbsp=
=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B 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=2C a much easier&nbsp=3Bjob when the boxes are at chest high or lowe=
r.<br>&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B I've been following the thre=
ad on swallow box hole size and have a few points to add about my experienc=
es with building and using&nbsp=3Bswallow boxes where I live - in the CB hi=
ghlands. I use a 1-1/2" hole and have found no problems with Starlings usin=
g the boxes. They occasionally check out the boxes but I've never had&nbsp=
=3Ba pair&nbsp=3Battempt to breed in one. I often get squirrels using the b=
oxes but they tend to chew&nbsp=3Bthe hole until it's big enough for them&n=
bsp=3Bto fit in.<br>&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B The&nb=
sp=3Bbox size is important but not crucial. I use a 5"x5"&nbsp=3Bfloor and =
always leave at least 6" from the hole to the floor to dissuade predators=
=2C like Blue Jays=2C&nbsp=3Bfrom reaching the eggs or chicks by sticking t=
heir heads in the box entrance hole. I build my boxes out of old=2C mostly =
salvaged and weathered wood. This gives them a&nbsp=3Bmore natural look and=
 I never&nbsp=3Buse paint.&nbsp=3BMy boxes are hung&nbsp=3Bin the 7'-12'&nb=
sp=3Brange but=2C as far as I can tell=2C&nbsp=3Bno height is&nbsp=3Bprefer=
red. </div><div dir=3D"ltr">&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=
=3B&nbsp=3BMost nest box websites say you should leave about 100'