[NatureNS] Port Williams Tree Swallow Nest Boxes Update

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From: nancy dowd <nancypdowd@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2019 06:48:08 -0300
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Aside from the sewage pond nesting potential, I am always impressed by the h=
uge numbers that collect at these locations in Spring and especially before l=
eaving in fall. Many eBird reports of hundreds of Swallows of all sorts taki=
ng advantage of the insect bounty. Valuable man-made habitats that should al=
ways have safe (both for the birds and the humans) viewing areas built in.=20=


Nancy D

Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 15, 2019, at 4:07 PM, George Forsyth <ge4syth@gmail.com> wrote:
>=20
> Hi All,
>=20
> I just came in from cleaning the Tree Swallow nest boxes that I have erect=
ed at the Port Williams, Kings Co sewer treatment ponds. The boxes are eithe=
r attached to the power poles going out to the ponds, or on fence posts arou=
nd the pond. There are sixteen boxes in total. The ponds are about 2.3 hecta=
res (5.7 acres), and the distance from the first box to the farthest box is 2=
00 meters. So it is only a small area, but very productive!
>=20
> Nine of the boxes had complete nests, with feathers, and appeared to have p=
artly decomposed feces. So a little over fifty percent successful.=20
> There was one nest with four unhatched eggs, two nests with grass but no f=
eathers, one box with feathers but no grass. One box had a nest with one dea=
d adult bird and at least one juvenile bird, both badly decomposed. One box w=
as successful but not for Tree Swallows, it had a wasp comb on the underside=
 of the roof, and some wasps that were crawling around inside the box, I lef=
t all of this in the box.
>=20
> The nine used boxes could have produced up to thirty six fledglings!
>=20
> See my eBird checklist from 25 May 2018. for some photos, one of a male Tr=
ee Swallow with a leg band. I would be interesting to know where it was band=
ed.
> https://ebird.org/canada/view/checklist/S46017417
>=20
> Waiting for the return of the Tree Swallows to Port Williams. 2018 I saw s=
ome on 22 April, 2017 on the 11 of April! so not really that long of a wait.=

>=20
> Cheers, George Forsyth
>=20

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto">Aside from the sewage pond nesting potentia=
l, I am always impressed by the huge numbers that collect at these locations=
 in Spring and especially before leaving in fall. Many eBird reports of hund=
reds of Swallows of all sorts taking advantage of the insect bounty. Valuabl=
e man-made habitats that should always have safe (both for the birds and the=
 humans) viewing areas built in.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Nancy D<br><br><di=
v id=3D"AppleMailSignature" dir=3D"ltr">Sent from my iPad</div><div dir=3D"l=
tr"><br>On Mar 15, 2019, at 4:07 PM, George Forsyth &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:ge=
4syth@gmail.com">ge4syth@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote t=
ype=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div><d=
iv><div><div><div>Hi All,<br><br></div>I just came in from cleaning the Tree=
 Swallow nest boxes that I have erected at the Port Williams, Kings Co sewer=
 treatment ponds. The boxes are either attached to the power poles going out=
 to the ponds, or on fence posts around the pond. There are sixteen boxes in=
 total. The ponds are about 2.3 hectares (5.7 acres), and the distance from t=
he first box to the farthest box is 200 meters. So it is only a small area, b=
ut very productive!<br><br></div>Nine of the boxes had complete nests, with f=
eathers, and appeared to have partly decomposed feces. So a little over fift=
y percent successful. <br>There was one nest with four unhatched eggs, two n=
ests with grass but no feathers, one box with feathers but no grass. One box=
 had a nest with one dead adult bird and at least one juvenile bird, both ba=
dly decomposed. One box was successful but not for Tree Swallows, it had a w=
asp comb on the underside of the roof, and some wasps that were crawling aro=
und inside the box, I left all of this in the box.<br><br></div>The nine use=
d boxes could have produced up to thirty six fledglings!<br><br></div>See my=
 eBird checklist from 25 May 2018. for some photos, one of a male Tree Swall=
ow with a leg band. I would be interesting to know where it was banded.<br><=
a href=3D"https://ebird.org/canada/view/checklist/S46017417">https://ebird.o=
rg/canada/view/checklist/S46017417</a><br><br></div>Waiting for the return o=
f the Tree Swallows to Port Williams. 2018 I saw some on 22 April, 2017 on t=
he 11 of April! so not really that long of a wait.<br><br></div>Cheers, Geor=
ge Forsyth<br><div><div><div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div></body></html>=

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