Kimmy Birrer of Villa Hills got more than she bargained for when she volunteered to monitor the Eastern Bluebird nest boxes at Highland Cemetery in Fort Mitchell. The 17-year old student at Notre Dame Academy is an enthusiastic birder and avid photographer, so monitoring bluebirds was joy enough for Kimmy.
But Tree Swallows, equally as beautiful as bluebirds and one of our most elegant of songbirds, was an added bonus.
Tree Swallows are some of the first songbirds to migrate north in the spring, arriving here by late March. Often they will set up housing in bluebird nest boxes before our resident Eastern Bluebirds will. The males, with their iridescent blue backs and pure white under parts, are extremely handsome. Females are no less attractive, though their colors are a bit more muted. They are usually found close to water in wide-open areas where they hunt for insects, their primary food source.
And boy can they fly. Tree Swallows are a joy to watch as they hunt insects on the wing. They always feed, drink and bathe while in flight. Get too close to their nest and you’ll find yourself ducking as one or both parents dive-bomb you.
They are equally beneficial. Over a six-week period a single family of Tree Swallows will eat more than a quarter-million insects, hunting non-stop from dawn to dusk. And since most of their hunting takes place below 40-feet, they are making a huge impact on the insects that “bug” us most.
Tree Swallows nest in natural cavities and man-made nest boxes. The female makes a simple nest of grasses and then lines it with feathers from other species of birds. The pair incubates the eggs for about two weeks, primarily by the female but the male is more than happy to help out. After the eggs hatch, both parents feed the young non-stop for another 3 weeks, about a week longer than most other songbirds. That extra week of being fed in the nest pays off though. Upon fledging, young Tree Swallows can feed themselves and are gracefully flying about and swooping like pros.
Tree Swallows will normally raise only one brood per year, though recently more and more birders are noticing them raising a second brood. Is this because of a longer nesting period due to a warming climate? Scientists aren’t yet sure. But, as with many other species of wildlife, subtle and not-so-subtle changes are occurring.
They are also very social birds. Tree Swallows will nest as close as 15 yards from one another. Outside of the breeding season they form huge flocks of thousands of birds at roost sites. Over the years, a flock near Vacherie, Louisiana has contained over a million Tree Swallows.
And they like to play. A single feather is their toy, which they drop from considerable heights and then compete to get it. The winner then flies up high and drops the feather again. They will play this game over and over.
Kimmy is one of several birders in Northern Kentucky monitoring nest boxes for Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows. While she is participating in Cornell University’s citizen scientist Nest Watch Program; she is also helping to ensure that we continue to see and enjoy these fascinating songbirds into the future.
Gayle Pille is a local naturalist and nature writer who many know through her work to establish the five-mile network of nature trails at Highland Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell. She created the cemetery’s popular 25-year-old Wildlife Enhancement Program and works with a small team of volunteers to maintain the cemetery’s wooded walking paths. An avid birdwatcher, Gayle also builds custom wildlife nest boxes for businesses, parks and residences through her business, www.woodlandhabitat.com
Contact her at gaylepille@yahoo.com