Again with the Tree Swallows! :(

[dapjwy]

Last year, I posted that my nesting pair of tree swallows abandoned their nest full of eggs. I was assured they would not have just abandoned them unless one of the pair had died.

This year, I had a pair pick a box and create a nest...at the same time another pair seemed to be hanging out with them (their young from last year, perhaps?). When I realized I had four or five tree swallows with no available boxes left, I set up another one. The second pair took to it quickly, feathered their nest, and laid eggs. After a week or so, of seeing the female on the nest, I stopped seeing any activity (from both nests). Now, at least a month or more later, I was removing the nest from the bluebird's box since their second brood has fledged (leaving two unviable eggs--that makes 8 fledgelings total so far this year) and decided to remove the one from the tree swallow's box as well.

I'm certain it has been more than a month with no sign of the parents, but just to be sure, I thought I'd double check here before removing the nest.

Here are some pictures from today:


The unviable eggs left after the fledglings left the nest.


Tree swallow nest.


Tree swallow eggs.


Attractive feather...anyone know what kind of bird it is from?

[recurve]

Not sure about the feather in the last pic but the barred on in the second pic looks like a wood duck flank feather.

[linrose]

I've never seen a tree swallow nest, they really do feather their nests don't they! Sorry I can't help you with the feather ID, it is cool though.

I meant to ask about the first photo and posted it on my bluebird thread by mistake, but the bluebird eggs looks speckled with brown, is this normal?

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by recurve

Not sure about the feather in the last pic but the barred on in the second pic looks like a wood duck flank feather.

Thanks, recurve. What a cool idea I've stumbled upon...finding out what local species of birds are around based on feathers collected by tree swallows!

It is nice to think that there are wood ducks around here; since I've only seen pictures of them, they seem like a rare species to me.

Originally Posted by linrose

I've never seen a tree swallow nest, they really do feather their nests don't they! Sorry I can't help you with the feather ID, it is cool though.

I meant to ask about the first photo and posted it on my bluebird thread by mistake, but the bluebird eggs looks speckled with brown, is this normal?

I saw that first and jumped over here when I realized I hadn't posted pics in hat thread.

To answer your question, they are not the pristine eggs they started out to be...seems they got a bit dirty from the babies that did hatch.