365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Moving In
Day 199: Warm days prompted a significant uptick in swallow activity, and the pair who had been considering the House of Chirp as a suitable place for their young signed the lease and immediately began moving in their furnishings. Both the male and female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been gathering dried grass and a few white feathers, and placing them inside. At this point, I have only seen the female (duller in colour) enter the box, and am assuming that the actual construction of the nest is her domain. Half a dozen small paperwasp nests were in the eave above the House and, not quite trusting that they were unoccupied, I took a long piece of PVC pipe to knock them down, keeping in mind that I might need to make a quick retreat. Fortunately, the wasps were absent, but this is something I must watch for every year to be sure there are no permanent installations. I must keep my renters safe and happy to ensure their return next year.
Labels:
House of Chirp,
Tachycineta bicolor,
Tree Swallow
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment