More Homes for Swallows

The swallows are back! More Homes for them in the estuary!

After our successful tree swallow population enhancement project which started in 2016 with 50 nesting boxes attached to old dolphins in the estuary north of the open air nature trail, we decided to expand the project ever since. Last year we added 30 boxes with some placed close to the nature trail, others to the lawn tennis court and the rest at Dinsdale Farm. Earlier this week (March 18) Wes Heinrichs, Bob Down, Peter Scheiler and myself hung 27 new boxes along the fence of Blackley's farm bordering the dyke trail leading to Western Forest Products mill. We are grateful to Ms. Blackley for allowing us to use the fence posts of her meadow. The new boxes were built by Wes over the winter using yellow cedar boards donated again by Murray from Dogwood Lumber ('Thanks' Murray, for your continuing generosity and 'Thanks' to Wes for converting the lumber into beautiful bird houses!).

We are now anxious to see whether the swallows will like their new homes. Last Sunday while I was taking out a group on a guided estuary tour along the nature trail we observed swallows which must have just returned from their winter quarters checking out already the nest boxes along the trail.

So far we have not seen any swallows on the meadows and marshes at close to Blackley's farm which did not offer any nesting facilities for the cavity breeders in the past. Undoubtedly it will take time for the swallows to discover the new site located in the center of prime swallow habitat. For cavity breeders bird houses constitute critical habitat requisites that have become rare in the estuary with more and more old trees disappearing.

We will monitor the new boxes throughout the breeding season in order to determine which species use them and find out at the end of the season in late August how many boxes were successfully occupied.

So far we can be pleased with the overall breeding success and can rightfully conclude that this project has enhanced the local tree swallow population, as planned!

Dr. Goetz Schuerholz Chair CERCA