Embedded Files
6/8
6/8
This nest is well made, with seven eggs. These eggs are being incubated right now, so we will not disturb the nest for now. Tree swallows typically lay 4-6 eggs, so our nest is a little above average. The mother swallow was caught today, and she is one of our banded swallows! According to our records, she made a nest in this same box last year as well.
6/14
6/14
All of the eggs in this nest have hatched! In eleven days we will band these chicks, when they have grown big enough to put bands on their legs, and for our handling to not hurt them. We will also measure and weigh them. The parents will now be working hard to feed these chicks so they grow and get stronger to fledge.
Both parents tried to fly into the box at the same time as we were leaving.
This little chicks doesn't want to show its face, but it is displaying its banded right leg nicely!
6/26
6/26
Chick banding time!!! These chicks are twelve days old and already big enough to have a band put on their leg, and be measured. At this point their legs won't grow any thicker so the number they get now will identify them for their whole lives. Usually we band at eleven days but delayed for rain. We measure their flat wing, culmen (beak), longest primary feather, mass, and fat. All seven chicks are banded and healthy looking. Next up fledging, usually ~20 days after they hatch!
The chicks are back in their nest, not to be disturbed again, to prevent accidental early fledging.
Here is a page I did of my very favourite part of fledge checks, when the chicks poke their heads out of the box to look around! They look so grouchy sometimes, but I would be too if I was stuck in a box with my siblings for weeks. Sometimes you can see two chicks jostling to peek out of the hole at once. This is also my favourite sight while fledge checking because it means I'm done with this box and can move on to the next.This is meant to be box 199, at the UAF T-Field, but it doesn't quite look like it.
Happy birding!
7/1
7/1
This nest is now empty! All the chicks have fledged, and pretty soon (after all but the few really late nests are fledged, around 7/8) we will collect the nests and clean out the boxes. Then we will start entering and proofing this year's data. To check if a box is fledged, we watch carefully from a distance for any activity like the parents going in to feed the chicks, or the chicks poking their heads out. After ten minutes of no activity we quietly approach the box and listen for any chick-noises. then we will carefully check the box if we hear none. This nest is very clean, which means the parents did a good job of taking out all their gross little babies' poop.
7/7
7/7
An empty box! The nest that was in 320 is collected, and it's remaining contents recorded. Now it's time for us to collect the rest of the nests and clean out all the boxes for next year, and enter and proof all the data we've collected this year. Next year the swallows will return to choose their nest, and we will start again.
Page updated
Report abuse