tree swallow help
Does anyone have any experience with tree swallows? The weather was nice they started their clutch and weather went sour turning into rain. I have not seen them back out on their boxes since. So will they continue egg laying when rain stops and they come back? Will the eggs they have be any good? I know they stay gone in search for food. But this weather has hit right in the middle of egg laying. 2 boxes have 4 eggs, 1 box has 1 egg. So just not sure what will happen here?
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flyin-lowe
- Posts: 3789
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
- Location: Indiana/Henry Co.
I have never had my TS leave after eggs have been laid but early in the season it is not uncommon for them to leave for several days when bad weather moves in. I also know the TS as well as PM's don't start incubating the eggs until after all eggs have been laid. So I am not sure how cold it has to get for the eggs to go bad.
2026 HOSP 27
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
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Mary Dawnsong
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:17 pm
- Location: Michigan, Livingston County
I usually have 4-5 pairs of nesting tree swallows. During weather like this they usually disappear, reappearing when conditions improve. Mine all have eggs and they have been away for two days now.
I have always believed that they go to a communal cavity roost - where, I don't know. A couple of times I've noticed communal roosting in one of their gourds here. In May of 2002, the midwest experienced a week-long cold spell worse than the current one. Shortly after that, the Ann Arbor city ornithologist was checking bluebird nest boxes in city parks and found several stuffed with dead tree swallows. They were communal cavity roosting, but the weather didn't improve in time to save them.
The other thing about tree swallows is that they will eat certain kinds of berries when necessary to survive. I don't know whether those berries are available now, but if so then it is possible they are off "berrying".
I have fed crickets to tree swallows with nestlings. Dump a pile inside their entry and *some* pairs will feed them to their nestlings - even caught that on video with a nestcam. I've also had them eat mealworms spread over a picnic table. Oddly, I have never seen them eat from the Bed&Breakfast feeder.
Swallows and martins can delay incubation and can even interrupt/resume incubation. If the eggs are bad, then they will very likely re-lay them. Actually, I kind of like it when the tree swallow nesting gets interrupted and prolonged. It means that they will not leave so early in the season - more time to enjoy them.
Also be aware that the tree swallow population is THRIVING and increasing in our general area. They are actually replacing martins throughout much of the Great Lakes area. Competition for housing from tree swallows may be one of the main reasons for the population decline of martins in this area. Weather losses are not going to hurt their population longterm.
North American Breeding Bird Survey shows steep population decline of Purple Martins in Ohio:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/graphs/s06110OHI.png
North American Breeding Bird Survey shows huge population increase of Tree Swallows in Ohio:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/graphs/s06140OHI.png
I have always believed that they go to a communal cavity roost - where, I don't know. A couple of times I've noticed communal roosting in one of their gourds here. In May of 2002, the midwest experienced a week-long cold spell worse than the current one. Shortly after that, the Ann Arbor city ornithologist was checking bluebird nest boxes in city parks and found several stuffed with dead tree swallows. They were communal cavity roosting, but the weather didn't improve in time to save them.
The other thing about tree swallows is that they will eat certain kinds of berries when necessary to survive. I don't know whether those berries are available now, but if so then it is possible they are off "berrying".
I have fed crickets to tree swallows with nestlings. Dump a pile inside their entry and *some* pairs will feed them to their nestlings - even caught that on video with a nestcam. I've also had them eat mealworms spread over a picnic table. Oddly, I have never seen them eat from the Bed&Breakfast feeder.
Swallows and martins can delay incubation and can even interrupt/resume incubation. If the eggs are bad, then they will very likely re-lay them. Actually, I kind of like it when the tree swallow nesting gets interrupted and prolonged. It means that they will not leave so early in the season - more time to enjoy them.
Also be aware that the tree swallow population is THRIVING and increasing in our general area. They are actually replacing martins throughout much of the Great Lakes area. Competition for housing from tree swallows may be one of the main reasons for the population decline of martins in this area. Weather losses are not going to hurt their population longterm.
North American Breeding Bird Survey shows steep population decline of Purple Martins in Ohio:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/graphs/s06110OHI.png
North American Breeding Bird Survey shows huge population increase of Tree Swallows in Ohio:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/graphs/s06140OHI.png
Click here to see my colony
"In Michigan every martin matters"
"In Michigan every martin matters"
Thanks for the replys. And mary I know what you mean they leave early and it will be nice to enjoy them longer. All 3 was back early this morning laying eggs. So they was not done egg laying. Then they leave and stay gone. Seems like the sparrows know that that's when I always get one messing with a box. So I watch them best I can. One week I closed it for a day. Wish the rain would stop and the season can kick back off.