This morning I found a young tree swallow on the grass near a nest box that had pecked areas on it's head. I put it in a bucket with pine straw and tried to feed it meal worms, but it refused them and finally died. I have spookers on all nest boxes and have seen only 3 sparrows (all eliminated) since the snow melted , so I don't think they got it. Since the swallows are so site dominant, will they do this to their own?
Sorry for this non-martin question, but I still have only the 2 bachelor martins, and the swallows are a close second.
Bill
Injured tree swallow
-
KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
Bill,
That is so sad.
TRES are such beautiful, delicate looking birds. I have 4 pairs of Tree swallows, 2 pair of which have completed nests with no eggs. I have been chasing a male HOSP around the property trying to shoot him. Today, another male HOSP joined him and accidentally flew into an opening I had made in my screened in porch through which to shoot.
My dog chased him to & fro while I blocked the exit until he finally knocked himself out long enough for me to grab him & euthanize him. After all the agonizing over the last 2 days about whether he was going to kill one of my TRES while taking their box, I was happy to do it.
It sounds to me like you may have a very sneaky HOSP on your hands. Check in the early morning and listen for him. The damage these little @#%$@ can do, is unbelievable.
That is so sad.
TRES are such beautiful, delicate looking birds. I have 4 pairs of Tree swallows, 2 pair of which have completed nests with no eggs. I have been chasing a male HOSP around the property trying to shoot him. Today, another male HOSP joined him and accidentally flew into an opening I had made in my screened in porch through which to shoot.My dog chased him to & fro while I blocked the exit until he finally knocked himself out long enough for me to grab him & euthanize him. After all the agonizing over the last 2 days about whether he was going to kill one of my TRES while taking their box, I was happy to do it.
It sounds to me like you may have a very sneaky HOSP on your hands. Check in the early morning and listen for him. The damage these little @#%$@ can do, is unbelievable.
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
-
KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
Bill,
One other thing. I've read lately that the "slot" entries on TRES houses can actually allow TRES to escape from a HOSP attack easier than the 1.5" hole. Or, you can add another 1.5" hole to your boxes to allow them to escape. I'm not sure if another hole would be a problem for them or not....but I'm definitely changing over to slot entries next year if that is the case.
One other thing. I've read lately that the "slot" entries on TRES houses can actually allow TRES to escape from a HOSP attack easier than the 1.5" hole. Or, you can add another 1.5" hole to your boxes to allow them to escape. I'm not sure if another hole would be a problem for them or not....but I'm definitely changing over to slot entries next year if that is the case.
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
-
Bill Kepley
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:10 pm
- Location: Ohio/Richwood
Kathy,
can you tell me about the slot opening? Does it work with bluebirds also?
Thanks, Bill
can you tell me about the slot opening? Does it work with bluebirds also?
Thanks, Bill
-
KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
Bill,
the information was posted by Bernie last year - I "bumped" the thread, and here is a link also. Hope this helps.
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... 179#133179
the information was posted by Bernie last year - I "bumped" the thread, and here is a link also. Hope this helps.
http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... 179#133179
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
-
Bill Kepley
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:10 pm
- Location: Ohio/Richwood
Kathy,
Thanks for the link, I will try that opening on a new TRES house I am building.
I asked Cornell about my injured swallow and they replied that sometimes an adult male swallow will attack a recent fledgling in the same manner that a sparrow does. It has to do with their extreme site dominance.
Bill
Thanks for the link, I will try that opening on a new TRES house I am building.
I asked Cornell about my injured swallow and they replied that sometimes an adult male swallow will attack a recent fledgling in the same manner that a sparrow does. It has to do with their extreme site dominance.
Bill
Indeed they will... and competition to the death is probably and unfortunately quite common. I have found 2 or 3 injured TS during the nesting/mating season over the years; and several dead ones. To actually see the injury, as you did, is unusual; for I have never been able to see the actual injury; and I have heard similar reports from others.Since the swallows are so site dominant, will they do this to their own?
On the other hand, I have also experienced the horror of murder by house sparrows... and in every such case, the injuries are quite evident about the head and eyes.
I'm not sure how much use it is to have a hypothesis in such matters; but it occurs to me that a valid hypothesis MIGHT be that VISIBLE injuries point to HOSP murders while INVISIBLE (less obvious) injuries might point to TS on TS interactions.
The only "preventable" type of TS murder is, of course, the HOSP attack... so we are back at square one eh... unless someone out there is working on a potion to make TS like each other during the nesting season.
Dan
-
Bill Kepley
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:10 pm
- Location: Ohio/Richwood
Dan,
This little bird was mdown in the grass, and 2 other TRES were dive-bombing it . It's eyes were not injured, but it had bald, red (bloody?) spots on the top of it's head. The lack of eye injury and the abscence of sparrows in my yard this spring (?) is why I have been looking for another explanation.
I would like to try the slot opening on my existing houses ,but I am afarid of causing the nesting birds to leave.
Thanks for your input.
Bill
This little bird was mdown in the grass, and 2 other TRES were dive-bombing it . It's eyes were not injured, but it had bald, red (bloody?) spots on the top of it's head. The lack of eye injury and the abscence of sparrows in my yard this spring (?) is why I have been looking for another explanation.
I would like to try the slot opening on my existing houses ,but I am afarid of causing the nesting birds to leave.
Thanks for your input.
Bill
Bill,
The slot-shaped entrances sound interesting; but I have not yet tried them. I intend to "re-format" my TS housing for next spring. Meanwhile, since you've not seen HOSP at your place, it does not sound like you need to do anything in a hurry.
As a general rule, once the TS have eggs, they will not desert a nest. All the same, I doubt if they would appreciate someone drilling and hammering on their house... especially if you were to accidentally break an egg.
As for TS on TS crime; I'm afraid it's one of those things we must accept as part of "nature."
Dan
The slot-shaped entrances sound interesting; but I have not yet tried them. I intend to "re-format" my TS housing for next spring. Meanwhile, since you've not seen HOSP at your place, it does not sound like you need to do anything in a hurry.
As a general rule, once the TS have eggs, they will not desert a nest. All the same, I doubt if they would appreciate someone drilling and hammering on their house... especially if you were to accidentally break an egg.
As for TS on TS crime; I'm afraid it's one of those things we must accept as part of "nature."
Dan