[obol] Birdhouse basics - Biirder's World for Oct., 2007

[DJ Lauten and KACastelein]

Interesting.  In our yard I hung 4 boxes this summer.  In the past I 
have had 2.   The Tree Swallows occupy one box on the barn, and the VG's 
occupy one box on the storage shed.  The other two boxes remained empty 
this year.  All the boxes are 20 feet to 50 feet apart.  I wondered why 
the other boxes weren't occupied, but it may have to do with location, 
box type, or which way they faced.  I'm not sure.  Anyhow, this year we 
did not have double clutches, but last year for sure the Tree Swallows 
pulled off 2 broods.

Cheers
Dave Lauten
Bandon OR
deweysage at verizon.net

Jason Randolph (Conservation For The Oregon Coast) wrote:

> Good morning Alan!
>
> I can second this observation. Every summer my Pastor and his wife 
> (who live in Cedar Valley, once Squaw Valley, up the Rogue River 
> outside of Gold Beach) have over a dozen boxes filled with TREE 
> SWALLOWS every summer. They have the same configuration as your 
> description, a box on each side of a 4x4 post. However, in one spot in 
> the garden, they have a total of 6 within a 8 foot span. They are all 
> full boxes come breeding time.
>
> Jason in Charleston, Oregon
>
> Alan Reid wrote:
>
>> In the Pairing Boxes block on page 23 the Stokeses say that pairing 
>> nest boxes (which they say is having two boxes 10 feet apart) will 
>> result in Tree Swallows using one box of the pair and keeping other 
>> Tree Swallows from using the other box of the pair but not bothering 
>> other species.  This may be true in some locations but is not so  in 
>> my area.  I have several true pairs in the form of one box on each 
>> side of the same post or tree.  I hoped to give Violet-green Swallows 
>> or Western Bluebirds a chance.  At my place in the McKenzie River 
>> Valley, western Oregon, I frequently have Tree Swallows in each box 
>> on the same post.  The only way I can get a Violet-green nest is to 
>> block a box entrance until the Tree Swallows have chosen a box and 
>> started nests and the Violet-greens are investigating.  The 
>> Violet-greens seem to arrive later in the spring.
>>  
>> On the east side of the Cascades, near Sisters, I have had Tree 
>> Swallows in one box and Western Bluebirds in the box on the other 
>> side of the post.  I have also had Tree Swallows in both boxes.
>>  
>> I see an unfortunate tendency to transfer expererience  from one area 
>> to the whole country.  Another example is the statement that Tree 
>> Swallows never have two nests in a year.  I get as many as 86% second 
>> nests and BIRDS OF OREGON says this is normal in the Willamette Valley.
>>  
>> Alan Reid  areid at peak.org <mailto:areid at peak.org>
>> 2 miles below Leaburg
>> on the McKenzie Hwy.
>> 41886 McKenzie Hwy.,
>> Splringfield, Or.
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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