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olor: #000000;">&nb --000000000000afbf5405889283f6 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Hi All, My tree swallow boxes are all placed in the open on fence posts at head height around a wastewater (sewage) treatment pond. There is no squirrel problem here because the ponds are on the dykes (google maps 45.090684, -64.408119). The holes that I make are two 7/8" holes drilled side by each and then rasp the two triangles away leaving an oval 7/8" high X 1 3/4" wide. I have never had other bird species try to use these boxes, although there really aren't other birds interested in such wide open habitat. The tree swallows seem to be able to use them well. They seem to fit the shape of the hole, and when feeding nestlings two mouths can come to the door at the same time! Best of luck on a better season this year, George Forsyth On Mon, 6 May 2019 at 13:20, Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com> wrote: > Hi All, > I finally finished cleaning out my Tree Swallow boxes yesterday and > have some interesting findings. > There were 30 boxes checked this spring but only 25 were available for > nesting last year. Five boxes were left as is last season because they had > either active flying squirrel nests or were near active squirrel nests. > This year I was able to clean out and remove four of those boxes for repair > and relocation to a better location. The fifth box contained a red squirrel > and was again left as is for now. > The 25 other boxes were cleaned out, repaired and relocated where > needed. Twelve of the boxes contained Tree Swallow nests with breeding > evidence. Two of these nests had egg shells and none had dead chicks. There > were no partial nests. There was 1 flying squirrel nest, 1 partial flying > squirrel nest and 1 contained a red squirrel and roost/nest (I observed the > squirrel bring nesting materials into the box). The box left was left as is > for now. > June 2018 was a frigid month here and the tree swallows did not did > not construct nests or breed during that period. They left the area in late > June but returned in mid July when weather conditions were warmer. They > then proceeded to build nests and breed in Mid to late July. This is when > the 12 nests mentioned above were constructed. I've never seen this > behavior before but it is interesting. > Last season I made and mounted 25 predator guards (3"x 3" x 1/4" > plexi with a 1 1/2" hole) on the boxes not left as is for the flying > squirrels. The results of this experiment were positive but mixed. None of > the guards showed any sign of squirrel damage but three had either red or > flying squirrel roosts/nests and in one I observed a red squirrel entering > a box with nesting materials. This tells me that squirrels (both red and > flying) have no problem entering a nest box through the 1 1/2" hole that is > accepted as standard in the nest box literature. Whether a squirrel can use > the box for breeding seems unlikely (a pregnant squirrel would be pretty > big for an 1 1/2" hole) but it seems using it has a roost or for predation > could be possible. I'll check the box in a couple of weeks a to confirm if > its a nest or roost. > I can't find much info on whether a smaller hole size will keep > tree swallows from using the nest box or how small a hole is required to > keep out squirrels. All the commercial predator guards I saw on line had 1 > 1/2" holes and I saw no reports of them not keeping out squirrels. It's all > a puzzle to me. All the best. > Fritz McEvoy > Sunrise Valley (near Dingwall) > > > --000000000000afbf5405889283f6 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Hi All,<br></div>My tree swallow box= es are all placed in the open on fence posts at head height around a wastew= ater (sewage) treatment pond. There is no squirrel problem here because the= ponds are on the dykes (google maps 45.090684, -64.408119). The holes that= I make are two 7/8" holes drilled side by each and then rasp the two = triangles away leaving an oval 7/8" high X 1 3/4" wide. I have ne= ver had other bird species try to use these boxes, although there really ar= en't other birds interested in such wide open habitat. The tree swallow= s seem to be able to use them well.=C2=A0 They seem to fit the shape of the= hole, and when feeding nestlings two mouths can come to the door at the sa= me time!<br><br></div><div>Best of luck on a better season this year,<br></= div><div>George Forsyth<br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div = class=3D"gmail_attr" dir=3D"ltr">On Mon, 6 May 2019 at 13:20, Fritz McEvoy = <fritzmcevoy@hotmail.com&= gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-le= ft:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex" class=3D"gmail_quote"> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> Hi All,=C2=A0</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0I finally finished cleaning out my Tree Swallow boxes y= esterday and have some interesting findings.=C2=A0</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 There were 30 boxes checked this spring but only 25 were avai= lable for nesting last year. Five boxes were left as is last season because= they had either active flying squirrel nests or were near active squirrel = nests. This year I was able to clean out and remove four of those boxes for repair and relocation to a better location.= The fifth box contained a red squirrel and was again left=C2=A0 as is for = now.</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0The 25 other boxes were cleaned out, repaired and reloc= ated where needed. Twelve of the boxes contained Tree Swallow nests with br= eeding evidence. Two of these nests had egg shells and none had dead chicks= . There were no partial nests.=C2=A0 There was 1 flying squirrel nest, 1 partial flying squirrel nest and 1 contained a red squirr= el and roost/nest (I observed the squirrel bring nesting materials into the= box). The box left was left as is for now.</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 June 2018 was a frigid month here and the tree swallow= s did not did not construct nests or breed during that period. They left th= e area in late June but returned in mid July when weather conditions were w= armer. They then proceeded to build nests and breed in Mid to late July. This is when the 12 nests mentioned above were constr= ucted. I've never seen this behavior before but it is interesting.</div= > <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0Last season I made=C2=A0 and mounted 25 predator= guards (3"x 3"=C2=A0 x 1/4" plexi with a 1 1/2" hole) = on the boxes not left as is for the flying squirrels. The results of this e= xperiment were positive but mixed. None of the guards showed any sign of sq= uirrel damage but three had either red or flying squirrel roosts/nests and in one= I observed a red squirrel entering a box with nesting materials. This tell= s me that squirrels (both red and flying) have no problem entering a nest b= ox through the 1 1/2" hole that is accepted as standard in the nest box literature. Whether a squirrel can= use the box for breeding seems unlikely (a pregnant squirrel would be pret= ty big for an 1 1/2" hole) but it seems using it has a roost or for pr= edation could be possible. I'll check the box in a couple of weeks a to confirm if its a nest or roost.</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0I can't find much info on whether a smaller = hole size will keep tree swallows from using the nest box or how small a ho= le is required to keep out squirrels. All the commercial predator guards I = saw on line had 1 1/2" holes and I saw no reports of them not keeping out squirrels. It's all a puzzle to me. All the best.=C2= =A0<br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Fritz McEvoy</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0Sunrise Valley (near Dingwall)</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> <br> </div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color= :rgb(0,0,0)"> =C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0</div> </div> </blockquote></div> --000000000000afbf5405889283f6--
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