This is the only time I see Tree Swallows on the ground, when they are gathering grasses for the nest.
It's been a difficult time what with covid 19 affecting things like blogging. Angie works from home most of the time now and the computer area is tied up during her scheduled work hours. By the time I get home from work at night, I am too tired to blog. After checking 3 of the 4 nest areas the last couple days, it is time to fire out a blog so I really don't fall behind.
The Forgotten Land has eggs in the box I call "Old Reliable". I do wonder if it is the same pair of Tree Swallows coming back to it?
There's 3 other nests in development from the box relocating I did. I've seen a few other swallows around so it will be interesting to see how many I end up with.
Over at Lambton, swallows have returned to the same nest box and have eggs.
I filled the Chickadee nest tube with wood chips. It was excavated weeks ago but the birds did not return. I hear them in the area and believe they chose another location.
A House Wren is back and has filled up a lone nest box that I set up last year when I was trying to help the Chickadees.
Interesting is that another pair of Tree Swallows are in the area and looking to claim a box in between the Chickadee nest tube and the active Wren box. I found grassy material in the box and then sticks on top. I am thinking the Swallows are having a little battle with the Wren over this box. On Friday I made the decision to take down the Chickadee nest tube and set up another nest box in case the Swallows want to move a little bit further away. As I was doing the nest box work, a man approached me, remaining physically distant, and thanked me for what I was doing. He's been enjoying the bird activity while he walks his dog. I said I was glad he was appreciating the birds. He didn't quite understand why I was taking down the Chickadee tube even with my in depth explanation.
What's really cool is there is a male Eastern Bluebird hanging out in the area. He's been seen a few times now. Man I wish he would call in a female and claim one of the remaining nest boxes.
He is around often. I swear he's there just to tease me. Like I said, he's just hanging around.
I only had my small lens. Isn't that the way?
Moving on over to the Creek. Lots going on there. A blog should have been done just on the work I did this spring. There was those 2 rotting white nest boxes I discovered. I replaced both. I knew of 2 forgotten nest boxes up the hill, interestingly enough, set up by another organization. One of those I brought down to this spot. Swallows have claimed it and have eggs.
The other box up the hill was crooked. Birds tried to use it last year but with the hole pointing upward, I believe they abandoned the nest because of the rain getting inside. It was set up with grass and feathers but didn't go any further than that. Weeks ago I re-positioned the box and Swallows are now using it, also with eggs inside.
There are 9 boxes in the Creek area. I checked 7 of them and 5 have nests. Egg counts are 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Another box has a nest in development which I will inspect two weekends from now and see what's going on.
Five eggs. It looks like blood on a couple of them. Hmmm?
Six eggs! Seven is my record. NOTE: on average, Tree Swallows have 5 eggs. Six eggs does not surprise me because that happens more than when I find four eggs as the final amount in a box.
The remaining two boxes I will check later in the coming week. It appeared there was bird activity at both when I walked through there last week.
It looks like I am going to have a really good nesting season at the creek.
The Creek is a really interesting spot. Angie and I have recorded 80 bird species over the last few years. It's a quiet green space without much human interference and it shows. I really should do a summer bird list to see how many actually nest there.
We had a new bird species added to the Creek list today being a pair of Eastern Meadowlarks. This late in May, I am wondering if the birds are going to nest here?
We get other cool sightings like this mink.
Or this pair of courting frogs (toads?) with a minnow audience right in the creek.
I will do my best to be back with another blog very soon after my next inspection of Area One.
Thanks for sticking with me here!
