They’ve Arrived

The Tree Swallows have arrived and are checking out options for their summer housing where they will, hopefully, rear at least one – perhaps two – broods of chicks.

Last year, a pair successfully fledged a brood from a box located off the north end of the front patio. Another pair fledged chicks from the Office Yard Center nest box.

I first noticed the returnees a few days ago, but it was blustering and cold and I wasn’t able to get out to film them. Today, the sun finally came out, and I was able to film them around the Office Yard Center box that Tree Swallows used last year to rear their young. I also saw Tree Swallows flying about, and landing on a new Wood Duck box we put up last fall on the East side of the pond. The Duck Box is significantly larger than Tree Swallows usually use as a nesting box – so, perhaps they were just landing there to communicate about their options.

The Wood Duck Box

Like last year, I noticed the breeding pair accompanied by one or two other Tree swallows. I believe they are chicks from last year.

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Office Yard Center Box

Because of its close proximity to the house, the boxes in the Office Yard are constantly being “controlled” by House Sparrows. House Sparrows are an invasive species that is known to wreck havoc on birds that use nest cavities, like Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows. They are highly territorial and will work hard to chase off, and even kill the young, of the native species.

We intentionally offer many nest boxes on the fences around the Office Yard (close the house where House Sparrow prefer to live.) When Sparrows move in and begin making a nest, we wait until the nest is well along, then we remove it. I call the practice “House Sparrow Planned Parenthood.” As long as they never get around to hatching eggs, we are making a dent in the population of House Sparrows and giving the Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and even the Purple Martins a chance to use the nesting sites we offer to them.

Here’s a House Sparrow that I filmed today checking out the Purple Martin house. We will have to remove any progress made regarding a nest before the PMs arrive.

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Here are photos of the Tree Swallows that were “apartment hunting” in the Office Yard. Their iridescent, deep blue color is incredible. At times, when the perspective is right, it reminds me of Batman!

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Within a moment that the Tree Swallows landed on the perimeter fence of the Office Yard near the white, round nest box, a House Sparrow took up position just on the other side of the box. That round box was used by a couple of Bluebirds last year.

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When the Tree Swallows flew past and around the Center box (which has a top slot, rather than a round hole opening), a House Sparrow took a position atop the Center box. The House Sparrow didn’t deter the Tree Swallows from performing Fly-By’s of that box.

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We will do what is necessary to keep the House Sparrows in check. Tree Swallows, Bluebirds and Purple Martins are native species that rely on access to cavities (or man-made nest boxes) to survive in this environment. I hope to be able to share many more images of the Tree Swallows as they select their summer accommodations and begin their journey to raise a brood of hungry chicks.