Tree Swallows

[Larry Budrow]

I've been out of town for a few days and missed Thursdays
warm 70 degree day in northeast Illinois. Back from Northern
Minnesota this Morning and saw my first tree swallow circling
the houses in the back yard. Pulled up the martin houses and gourds. This will be my 8th year trying and keeping my fingers crossed.
Larry Budrow
Hawthorn Woods, Illinois

[Lou King]

Larry. Good Luck this year. Hopefully the weather will settle down soon. CUL Lou

[Larry Budrow]

Cul Lou. Good luck to you as well. I frequenty visit the southeast part of Michigan along the Lake and have seen lots of martins. Maybe this year a westerly wind will send you a pair.
Larry

[Martin Gal]

My first tree swallow was back about 3 weeks earlier than the previous two years. Then, a late snow chased him off for a few days, but he soon returned. Last week, I had 2 pairs, and the males had a serious aerial battle - it looked like a dog-fight from an old WWII movie!

Today, there is the beginnings of a nest in their box. It is a bit disorganized right now, so I can't be sure whether it is TS or HOSP. I will watch it closely. I hope it is the TS and they settle in quickly. In the past, they have been the impediment to my getting the first Purple Martin scout to stay.

maybe this is My Year!

Kathi

[Martin Gal]

Well. I have been watching that "unknown" nest for 8 days. It grew slowly, and I still couldn't tell what was making it. I did see a TS go in, and then spend some time looking out the entry hole, so I thought perhaps they had claimed it, but since that day, the TS pair has been perching off to the side, staring at, but not using, the nest box.

Today I found out why. While watching my bird feeders and the rest of my yard, I saw the HOSP pair copulating, then saw both the male and the female carrying nest material into that box. :evil: That's it! I set up my nest box trap and caught the female before I left for work. The male wouldn't go in by the time I had to leave, and I broke one of my own rules - I left the trap set while I was gone.

When I got home, the first thing I heard was the incessant "Chirp, chirp, chirp" of a male HOSP in my front yard. Grrr! I checked the box - the trap was tripped, but no HOSP in it. I cleaned out his nest. I will get him another day. :twisted:

Meanwhile, back on the TS front, they finally decided to start shopping around and began to investigate a natural gourd that I put out for them - the same one my first TS couple used 2 years ago. I thought, "perhaps they will nest there and I can still use the wooden box for a trap." However, out of the blue came a second TS pair. A terrible battle ensued - tree swallows were zipping all around, raising a terrible fuss. Papa bluebird came over to try to mediate, but quickly retreated - his gentle soul is not able to stand up to TS terrorists. When the dust cleared, the resident pair was still in possession of the field, but disinclined to do any more house-hunting this morning. Sigh. Tree swallows - what am I gong to do with them? :roll:

[Martin Gal]

Tree swallow update:

The first couple has taken possession of the territory - no recent aerial battles, anyway. Their nest, in a natural gourd, seems to be complete, including feathers. No eggs yet, but I did observe copulation today, so I am anticipating that first little pearl soon. When that happens, I'm hanging my martin gourds and starting the Dawnsong tapes.

[Bill Hyde]

Today the tree swallows are performing their beautiful aerial ballet! A new performer has joined the troupe. It is a mostly brown-backed tree swallow -- much duller looking than the others which sport their blue and turquoise back feathers. I believe the newcomer is a SY TS. Thus far, one pair has staked out the same box that fledged some babies last year; another, and possibly a third pair seem interested in a bb gourd and a bb box elsewhere on the property. A couple days ago I checked out a site where I observed several TS pairs engaged in trying out bb boxes that were set on poles in a random pattern about 20 yds apart. I thought it odd that the various TS pairs would tolerate other TSs so close to their nest boxes. I'm thinking that none have started egg laying yet, so perhaps they tolerate TS neighbors in this early stage of nesting.
Neighbor Jim and I are keeping our PM entrances closed for now, hoping to see that first TS egg in one of our nest boxes.
So far, no bluebirds have showed up here, but a house wren has joined the competition for housing in our adjoining yards.

[Martin Gal]

Bill: I'll bet you are right - your "dull" TS is probably an SY female. I have noticed that they aren't as "shiny" as the ASY birds. My first TS female had that brown look to her, but with this year's pair, I can't tell the difference betwen the sexes.

:!: Aha! My first TS egg was laid today - that is much earlier than the previous two years (May 5, 2004 and May 16, 2005). I feel so relieved! The PM gourds go up tonight; DawnSong starts tomorrow morning! I don't even care that it is supposed to rain all day - Gotta get those returning subbies! :!:

BTW, saw my first yard Barn Swallow yesterday, so the Purple Martins are the only ones not back yet. Wish me luck!

[Bill Hyde]

Martin Gal, I have some questions for you.

On April 22 you said you observed tree swallows copulating, and two days later you reported that a TS egg was laid. May I assume the egg was laid by the female of the pair you reported on April 22? My neighbor and I are anxiously awaiting TS eggs so we can open our PM housing too. Jim's pair were observed copulating a week ago and again today, but no eggs in the nest yet. When I checked the nest box in my yard today, there was a shallow nest with several brownish feathers -- but no eggs. How long does it usually take between copulation and egg laying?

Another question regarding TS behavior at night: Do both or either tree swallow spend nights in their chosen nest box or do they sit on a perch all night? I watched Jim's pair this evening and at least one remained perched atop a bird feeder until it was too dark to continue watching it.

As you can probably tell from these questions, Jim and I are anxious to open up our PM housing and begin playing the dawnsong. I think I saw one PM casing my setup on Saturday but it did not land. Resisting temptation, I left all the holes plugged and said a little prayer to help prod the tree swallows to get on with the egg laying. :lol:

[Martin Gal]

Bill:

Yes, the pair that I observed copulating was the same (the only) pair I have in my yard, and they were the ones that laid the egg (now 6 eggs, due to hatch this weekend) I mentioned. Sorry that wasn't clear.

I don't know for sure how long between cops & egg-laying is the norm. I do know that in both 2005 & this year, I found the first egg 2 days after I saw copulation. Of course, there might have been earlier breeding that I didn't see. In 2004, my first year with Tree Swallows, I didn't see them breed, so I don't have data for that year.

However, two days is by no means a rule, just my observations. I have been told by others that TS can delay egg-laying after copulation if there is bad weather (wet, cold) so if you were having bad weather, that might delay them. If you have a feather-lined nest and you have seen copulations, then I have to assume that eggs are imminent.

As far as their nest behavior, all I can tell you is what I have observed in my birds the last 3 years. From what I have seen, they appear to be more "bluebird-like" than "martin-like" in this behavior. That is, until eggs are laid, neither bird uses the nest box (or gourd) to sleep in at night. After egg laying is complete (average 6 eggs - 1 egg a day for 6 days), the female incubates them night and day. She also broods the young for the first week or so of their life. She will leave for brief periods during the day to feed. Time off the nest is temperature-dependent; longer in warm weather, shorter in cool. I have not seen the male bring her food like the male bluebird does for his wife.

The male enters the nest box during courtship, nest building, and when feeding the young, but I have never seen him pop in to spend the night, like the male Purple Martin does.

Hope this answers your questions and I'll bet you'll be writing back in a day or two to tell us you have seen your first eggs. Best of luck with your TS (and of course, in getting PMs this year)!