Swallow Dilemma at site #2 (Urgent!!)

14 years ago

I have 2 box pairs here at home. The good news here is that box #2 in my 1st pair has some grass in it and when I checked the bluebirds showed up so maybe it was them?

Anyhow at site #2 there are 2 UN-PAIRED boxes somewhere around 100 yards apart. Last year both had 1 bluebird pair. I was astonished when a 2nd BB pair showed up!

Well now those irritating swallows are taking BOTH boxes! One already has a completed swallow nest. The other I swapped for a new box and the damn things were dive bombing me! (Excuse the language, thank you) The blues were out there today near the box with the swallow nest. The swallows got a head start when they checked out the newly-empty box after successfully trapping and euthanizing a male HOSP.

My paired site has 4 boxes, 2 pairs, with boxes spaced exactly 20 feet apart, near 100 yds to the nest pair. I've had swallows and bluebirds nest this close peacefully but with fighting over who got what box.

My question is, I have no more supplies for mounting more posts, so how about trying the back-to-back method mentioned on sialis? I have multiple un-mounted boxes (although they aren't the best) The other problem is there isn't really any more room for more poles unless I want problems with predators jumping out of nearby trees (There is fencing and trees, so I only really have the necessary space and habitat for 2 boxes)

But I must ask, why must there be SO MANY SWALLOWS?! Who out there is forgetting about our bluebirds?! Every year I see more and more TRES, get dive-bombed, and annoyed. The birds are TYRANTS. They are almost as bad as HOSP with the exception that they won't harm adult bluebirds. If anyone here has nothing but swallows, PLEASE, take the boxes down! You are only causing more harm than good! It's pointless to put boxes out with blues in mind but let the boxes get infested with Tree Swallows all the while further hurting the already low bluebird population. TRES don't need any help! They are surviving just fine! Just like House Wrens. Purple Martins and Bluebirds seem to be the only species left with trouble surviving. I do of course realize the nature of our blues is the problem. They have been beat to the boxes this year by the swallows. They don't seem to care very much. They laze around for weeks checking out boxes but doing nothing.

okay that was a lot. But help would be appreciated! For the 2nd year in a row these dang birds have me flustered and irritated. I want to try the back-to-back method. Anyone hear ever used it?

-Tim-

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Comments (4)

lisa11310
14 years ago
You may as well try the back to back thing, cant hurt. I wish I had so many TRES. I LOVE them, the weather has been unkind to them this spring and I don't know if ours will survive. It's so sad to have them come so far just to die. :(
dzyg
14 years ago
I doubt the back to back would work but you could try. I have some paired boxes at the park which are 15ft apart and nothing neither TRES nor Blues will let anything else nest in a box that close. At my house I have boxes pared 25-30 feet apart and can get Blues and TRES nesting. TRES are only annoying until they finally get to nest building and lay their eggs then they calm down and leave other nestboxes alone. If I only had one or two boxes, I would have only TRES. I pair them so I can get Blues too. TRES always seem to start house hunting before the BLues here so the Blues seem to get whatever is left. Pairing boxes at least leaves some boxes empty for the Blues. That being said I have TRES chasing my Dees away right now and it is really worrying me that the Dees will abandon thier nest...no eggs yet. This is in a paired box situation too as the TRES defend both boxes until they actually get thier nest built and lay eggs and that won't be happening for awhile yet.

Good luck with your BLues.

Donna
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kendra2003
14 years ago
This is interesting, though frustrating for you. I have never had a problem. My Blues always nest first, and the TRES don't begin nest building until the first clutch of Baby Blues have already hatched. I have boxes for both, and even with the Blues nesting a second and third time last year, there was never a problem between the two. I wonder if it has to do with location? Are you very near a water source? I have had BCCH and TRES fight over the same box, with the TRES always winning, but they have never competed with the Bluebirds. I think you should go ahead and try the back to back boxes. It might not work, but then again, it might.
ohsoblue77
Original Author
14 years ago
I'm sorry to hear that Liza! We have too many of them here! The blues have 1 or rarely 2 pairs locally seen and then we get a swarm (5-6 TRES) near a box with the main pair defending it's box and territory.

And Kendra, at my paired sight there is a lake on the next property over and 3 on the property behind it. Site #2 has lakes but you have to move a few properties away.

Okay so I was there again today. Swallow pair #1 has a completed nest so that box is locked up. At box #2 I approached to see Mr and Mrs. blue perched on the fence behind it. But of course later on I was again dive bombed. (so annoying! I just stood there in protest)
Only a couple of pieces of grass in the box. I still haven't decided. Do I wait to see if the blues win out or double it up? I like the TRES, but it's really irritating that everywhere I go for bluebirds the swallows want every box and always seem to outnumber the blues. It doesn't make any sense. Even Dorene Scriven's "bluebird trails" mentions bluebirders giving up hope of having boxes only for the bluebirds. Ever since waging all out war on the HOSP the TRES have shown up. They can't steal a box from the HOSP but if it concerns the bluebirds, of course! They decide to come take it. UGH! The things just irritate the heck out of me! And this property has hardly any space for multiple boxes. There's too many trees and a fence in my way. Ugh. rather depressing nesting season. I've had enough of these TRES.

Swallow Dilemma at site #2 (Urgent!!)

Comments (4)

lisa11310

dzyg

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Swallow Dilemma at site #2 (Urgent!!)

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lisa11310

dzyg

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ohsoblue77Original Author

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