June 28, 2012
Urbanized Tree Swallows
When we put up a nesting box for Tree Swallows in the planting bed in the Water Department parking, House Sparrows immediately arrived and got ready to set up housekeeping. We shooed them out and reduced the size of the opening, with the hope that only the slightly smaller Tree Swallows would be able to get in. The technique worked, and now the swallows have a nest full of babies, which become very vocal when a parent arrives with food.
The birds do not seem to mind the close proximity to human activities, but when I stood nearby looking at the box, one of them flew around me an a manner that suggested it was wishing I would leave.