next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--Boundary_(ID_Jt3rOL0SJhMoeEbJ6HGyeQ)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT
Hi Nancy: I was delighted to take Ally Manthorne on a swift (as in
'quick') "swift tour" of nesting swifts in barns in East Dalhousie and
Cherryfield a few weeks back. We were surprised to discover the barn
swallow nest built over top of the swift nest. This is new construction
this year. Dr Cindy Staicer and I examined that nest last year, and I
believe it had been active. I haven't been back to see whether the
swifts (which hadn't started to nest in any of the barns at that point)
will build a new nest or move elsewhere. The trouble is that
subsistence farming is pretty well terminated in the area and barns are
falling down, as you well know. I will continue to try and convince a
few others who own barns to open up their hay loft window. Spread the
word if you can. (We were successful with one barn in Cherryfield, and
it is now occupied by swifts once again.) My guess is that _any _barn
in that area would offer a welcome nest site to the swifts. (Goodness
knows there are few trees remaining to consider, and chimneys are now
lined. Where are they to nest?)
The barn in the photo is the old Sleigh barn located across from Flossy
Wright's place. It's not kept open deliberately for the birds but there
is a growing colony of cliff swallows inside, sort of like we witnessed
a few decades ago. It is unusual for them to be inside the barn, quite
correct. But this barn has a huge open door at the back and that seems
to make the difference to the birds. It is more open to the outdoors
than other barns. The barn had been used more recently than most for
llamas and horses. If you go, you may want to knock on the door of the
house across the road and let them know why you are there.
I will be in East Dalhousie early tomorrow afternoon at my mother's
house if you want to check out some "barn swifts". I assume they are
nesting in my mother's barn by now. They are always later than the tree
swallows. (Four of our tree swallows fledged today in the valley.)
All the best, Nancy.
Donna Crossland
On 2018-06-21 4:31 AM, NancyDowd wrote:
> The ones I saw yesterday were on the outside of a building. The nests photographed on the Jun 3 eBird report https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46353043 are in a barn that is kept open deliberately for the Swallows, Swifts etc. I was also surprised to hear they nested inside. Possibly the open doors make the inside as good as (or better than) the usual under-eaves-on-the-outside setup. I will try to find out more. Donna C might comment on those barn-nesting Cliff Swallows.
>
> Nancy
>
>> On Jun 20, 2018, at 7:07 PM, Ronald Arsenault <rongarsenault@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Cliff Swallows typically nest on the outside of buildings, and not inside. Anything different about this barn that would make it enticing for the Cliff Swallows to nest inside?
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 20, 2018 at 6:39 PM, nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I read that Cape Breton is where they are most common/faring best. The colony inside the nearby barn apparently has 24 “jugs”. But I don’t know how many are occupied. Perhaps the ones I saw today are breakaways from that group (speculation)?.
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>>> On Jun 20, 2018, at 6:09 PM, bdigout <bdigout@seaside.ns.ca> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 20 Jun 2018 17:50, NancyDowd wrote:
>>>> This came up rare on eBird so I will post here in case it is of
>>>> interest. Today the harsh call of Cliff Swallows at a mud puddle
>>>> surprised me. They were gathering pellets and ferrying them to the
>>>> side of a building:
>>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/42877832992/in/dateposted-public/
>>>> There is no established colony on the peak of this unfinished
>>>> building as of now- just mud bits here and there so they must be just
>>>> beginning.
>>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/42877827072/in/dateposted-public/
>>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/41116620870/in/dateposted-public/
>>>>
>>>> Ally Manthorne reported an active long-term colony inside a barn not
>>>> far from here on eBird this June (while she was searching for Swift
>>>> nests). This is the first time I have noticed Cliff Swallows in this
>>>> area away from the latter property although I am quite sure there are
>>>> others here.
>>>>
>>>> Nancy
>>>> E Dalhousie, Kings Co
>>> I noticed a total of 4 occupied entrances today in the small Cliff Swallow colony in Louisdale, Rich. Co.
>>> Billy
>>
>>
>> --
>> Ronald G. Arsenault
>> Halifax, Nova Scotia
>
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
--Boundary_(ID_Jt3rOL0SJhMoeEbJ6HGyeQ)
Content-type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<p>Hi Nancy: I was delighted to take Ally Manthorne on a swift (as
in 'quick') "swift tour" of nesting swifts in barns in East
Dalhousie and Cherryfield a few weeks back. We were surprised to
discover the barn swallow nest built over top of the swift nest.
This is new construction this year. Dr Cindy Staicer and I
examined that nest last year, and I believe it had been active. I
haven't been back to see whether the swifts (which hadn't started
to nest in any of the barns at that point) will build a new nest
or move elsewhere. The trouble is that subsistence farming is
pretty well terminated in the area and barns are falling down, as
you well know. I will continue to try and convince a few others
who own barns to open up their hay loft window. Spread the word
if you can. (We were successful with one barn in Cherryfield, and
it is now occupied by swifts once again.) My guess is that <u>any
</u>barn in that area would offer a welcome nest site to the
swifts. (Goodness knows there are few trees remaining to
consider, and chimneys are now lined. Where are they to nest?)</p>
<p>The barn in the photo is the old Sleigh barn located across from
Flossy Wright's place. It's not kept open deliberately for the
birds but there is a growing colony of cliff swallows inside, sort
of like we witnessed a few decades ago. It is unusual for them