FEBRUARY 2023 THE RIDER /39 Barn Swallow Cave Turned Phoebe Cave (Part Two)
By Linda Glass Ward Pigeons (Rock Doves) were setting up
house on the top of the Barn Swallow cave, again. I was getting pretty tired of setting up my ladder on the outside of the cave to remove their nest, so I decided to take the ceiling (roof) off...but where were those Phoebes nesting anyway? Thirteen days had passed since I first spied that perfect nest. I was about to dismantle the top of the cave when I got my Sneaky Snooper (mirror on a stick) to look into the two remodelled Robins’ nests I had placed inside the cave. The little female Phoebe flew out of the cave when I leaned my noisy ladder up to the floor of it. A careful look into the first nest revealed five small, whitish eggs
ilar to barn and cliff swallows, relying solely on in- sects and nesting in, or on, man made structures, bridges, farm buildings, verandas and even signs. In spite of this, the Eastern Phoebe population is increasing in the United States, and remains secure in Canada. It is unclear why one species (Barn Swal-
lows) whose habits are so similar to another (East- ern Phoebes), is in decline, and the other species is not.
Please help Barn Swallows and other Swal-
with tiny brown speckles. At last (June 3) I knew where the Phoebe had laid her eggs. May 16 - I noticed the completed Phoebe nest under the Barn Swallow cave. May 18 - I saw a male Phoebe but no female. May 19 - There was no Phoebe activity so I looked up why that might be. Phoebes sometimes take two weeks from nest building to laying of first egg. May 21 - I saw a Phoebe on the arena door sill, west side. May 23 - On Victoria day, there was a Phoebe by the pond at midday. May 24 - Those elusive Phoebes were around. I saw a male in the arena calling “Phoebe”, and a female outside on a wire fence between the barn and arena. May 25 - No Phoebes were nesting yet, but they were catching flies by the pond. May 26 - I saw both Phoebes. June 3 - I was going to disassemble the ceiling of the cave, but the pigeon eggs were already hatched so I left it on. I discovered 5 eggs in the nest the Phoebes chose, as I was looking for the Pigeon nest. I took a photo of the Phoebe eggs. She’s sitting. I’m so exited for the Phoebes. June 4 - I saw one Phoebe. June 6 - There were sooo many birds at our pond, and the Phoebe was still sitting on five eggs. June 7 - I didn’t know if the Phoebes had hatched, but I found a white egg shell on the arena floor. Had those Phoebes hatched? Maybe the parent birds had dropped shells 70’ away from the nest. June 8 - At 7:15 AM I saw a little bird fly into the arena; Barn Swallow? or Phoebe? June 10 - The Phoebes were very busy. I planned to see if they had hatched. June 11 - The Phoebes were busy. I will look at the Phoebe nest tomorrow. June 12 - I had a look at the Phoebe nest. The
Send all your news in for the next Rider.
Deadline is March 20th!
Craig Hunter and Family and Staff
babes have hatched. June 22 - The Phoebes had grown. I saw their heads above the edge of the nest. June 26 - The Phoebes fledged. They were flutter- ing against the Sun Tough on the north end of the arena. I caught one and put it outside, and a baby Robin too. That was the second go ‘round for Robins. June 27 - First thing in the morning I went into the arena to see if the Phoebe babes made it out. I did not see any there. I was ripping out and cutting weeds a good part of the day. Then at 4:30 PM one little Phoebe was still fluttering against the Sun Tough. I tried with two ladders and the butterfly net to catch it. At about 6:00 PM I did catch it. I tried feeding it a fly. No. I tried watering it. No. Then, I walked around the field listening for Phoebes. When I heard one I opened my hand and the little one flew into the willows at the pond. I hoped the parents would find their baby bird and finish rais- ing it. I supposed a bird whose eyesight is so per- fect that it can catch insects on the wing can find their offspring in the shrubbery. July 2 - I saw one Phoebe singing his mating song. July 5 - I saw a Phoebe. July 16 - I heard the Phoebe, but there was no sign of a second clutch in the Barn Swallow cave or
under it, in the Phoebe nest. However the female was nowhere to be seen. I hoped she was sitting on eggs in another nest. July 28 - I may have seen a male Eastern
Phoebe...small bird on a fence post.
After all the nestlings fledged, I hoped they
would have a second clutch but they didn’t. Since the nestlings fledged, I have seen and
heard Phoebes here into the month of October, and we had numerous other Flycatchers coming through as they migrated to the south. On the sunny days in the first week of October some were help- ing themselves to the Cluster Flies on the south side of our house, but as of today, October 17, I feel they have all left for warmer climes. Eastern Phoebes’ nesting habits are very sim-
lows and native birds. There are many things you can do. Is anyone interested in starting a Barn Swallow Society? Please contact me on Facebook or by telephone; Linda Marie Glass Ward (The barn Swallow Carpenter) 519 327-4541.
Your horse has given you a lifetime of love and it is hard to walk away when the time has come to say goodbye
Honouring the life of your horse.
“ONTARIO’S LARGEST EQUINE CREMATION SERVICE”
Let the staff at Ontario Equine Cremation Services provide you with individual equine cremation.
--------------------
Servicing all of Ontario Government Licensed
1.888.668.2989 519.268.2989
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
