<\/p>\n
Salt Lake Tribune,\u00a0United States\u00a0– Jun 17, 2006
\nBlue skies, gentle breezes, the sound of water lapping on a rocky shoreline, magnificent sunsets and storms that blow up on a moment\u2019s notice. These are just a few of the reasons I enjoy island life, and this week I\u2019m on Gibraltar Island in southern Lake Erie. I\u2019m teaching \u201cOrnithology for Teachers\u201d at Ohio State University\u2019s Stone Lab, a field station where students spend more time afield than in the classroom.<\/p>\n
The highlight of the week thus far came on a short boat ride from South Bass Island to Gibraltar. I noticed a tree swallow following the boat and landing behind a stout corner post at the stern. The steel pipe is about 4 inches in diameter, and when I investigated the source of the bird\u2019s curiosity, I discovered a 2-inch hole in the pipe about 4 feet above the deck. And inside that hole was a tree swallow nest with several chicks that were at least 10 days old.<\/p>\n
The boat captain explained that the parents follow the boat wherever it goes, even when it travels miles from shore. I\u2019ve read of wrens that nested in the cab of a working tractor or even a farm truck, but never a nest that every day might wander miles from port for hours at a time. Obviously it didn\u2019t bother these tree swallows because they incubated the eggs for two weeks and have been feeding young for about 10 days. Furthermore, the captain told me that this is the third year tree swallows have nested in that post. It gives new meaning to the term \u201cmobile home.\u201d
\nHummingbird worries<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been getting lots of worrisome questions about hummingbirds. \u201cWhere are my hummingbirds this summer? I\u2019m only seeing a few hummers every day.\u201d I\u2019ve gotten this question so many times over the last three weeks, it warrants an answer.<\/p>\n
Ruby-throated hummingbirds return to the same area from one year to the next, so unless something terrible happens to your hummers, the population should remain stable from year to year.<\/p>\n
One possibility is that last year\u2019s horrific hurricane season could have killed large numbers of migratory birds, including hummingbirds. But it would be difficult to confirm such an occurrence because there\u2019s seldom evidence of the loss of tiny birds.<\/p>\n
A more likely explanation is that there is no problem with the hummingbird population at all. I\u2019ve read nothing from the folks who track hummer populations that their numbers are down.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, in places that have received excessive rain the last few weeks, people are reporting record numbers of hummers at feeders. Perhaps soft-bodied invertebrates such as aphids, gnats and spiders, hummingbirds\u2019 primary live foods, are more difficult to find during wet weather and nectar feeders become more important.<\/p>\n
I think the best explanation of low hummer numbers is that people lose track of what happened in previous years. Hummers return in late April and early May. Males arrive first and females follow about a week later. So a typical feeding station first sees some males and a week later some females. In that first two weeks it wouldn\u2019t be unusual to six to 10 hummers visiting feeders.<\/p>\n
But some of those birds will continue farther north, so by late May the number of birds at nectar feeders declines. Then in June, after mating, females begin nesting, and after incubation begins, they visit feeders much less frequently. So the typical early season trend of hummer numbers is a slow increase followed by a gradual decline as females spend more time on the nest.<\/p>\n
The peak of hummer numbers is yet to come. As young hummingbirds leave the nest, the population climbs. By late July, most young will have fledged and feeders will be swarming with adult males, adult females and many juveniles. I suspect this is the time and these are the numbers people recall when feeders had to be filled several times each day.<\/p>\n
So if you\u2019ve wondered where your hummers are, be patient. The best is yet to come.<\/p>\n
Send questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, RD 5, Cameron, WV 26033, or e-mail sshalaway@aol.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Salt Lake Tribune,\u00a0United States\u00a0– Jun 17, 2006 Blue skies, gentle breezes, the sound of water lapping on a rocky shoreline, magnificent sunsets and storms that blow up on a moment\u2019s notice. These are just a few of the reasons I enjoy island life, and this week I\u2019m on Gibraltar Island in southern Lake Erie. I\u2019m […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[413],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n