Gus: Thank you for sharing some good news! Do you think that signs and
roping could be put on top to prevent humans from compressing the
nesting chambers?
------ Original Message ------
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2022 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Fwd: Bank Swallow nests at Plumb Beach
Great news!
After I saw the photo of the nestling taken by another birder 3 days
ago (I am sorry for not mentioning his/her name. I don't know if he/she
wants the publicity), I had to go and check on the fate of this nestling
and the nest.
The moment I arrived, I noticed that the nest that was half occluded
yesterday is wide open today. It made me happy to see that the swallow
re-opened it. Looking inside, I could see the chick is alive and well.
Few minutes later, an adult came and fed the chick and I recorded the
feeding act on video. You can see it here:
https://twitter.com/BirdBrklyn/status/1548720277110005762
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first ever Bank Swallow
offspring that was born in Brooklyn. If this is inaccurate, please, let
me know.
The fact that this nest is wide open proved to me again that no bird
will ever abandon its chicks permanently. They might abandon them for a
short period of time when there is a danger around, but they always come
back to care for them after the danger goes away. At least this is my
experience with all the nests I have followed over the years.
This Swallow couldn't let its chick be buried alive.
As for the other nests, they are still occluded. Two of them totally
occluded and the third is half occluded. My thinking that there are no
living chicks inside. The swallows probably abandoned their eggs, and
they might try laying eggs in another burrow, like Jose suggested.
Good birding to all
Gus Keri
---- On Sat, 16 Jul 2022 15:30:59 -0400 Jose Ramirez-Garofalo
<[email protected]> wrote ---
>
> Gus,
>
> Unfortunately, that is a common occurrence with Bank Swallow
colonies on the coast. There is really no way to adequately protect the
nests unless the land management agency fences off the top of the
dune/bluff. Disturbance to the front of the colony site can also a
problem at a site like Plumb—though less-so than actual nest collapse.
Since they aren’t protected (not even as a Species of Special Concern
despite their widespread declines in NYS/the northeast), it isn’t likely
that targeted measures will be undertaken for the swallows there.
>
> The good news is that they are adept at re-nesting, and will
sometimes nest in drainpipes like Northern Rough-winged Swallows. We are
pretty late in the season for them, but it isn’t out of the question.
>
> Cheers-
> José
>
> --
> José R. Ramírez-Garofalo
> Pronouns: He/Him/His
> PhD Student
> Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources
> Rutgers University
> 14 College Farm Road,
> New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
>
>
> From: Gus Keri <[email protected]>
> Date: Sat, Jul 16, 2022 at 12:52 PM
> Subject: [nysbirds-l] Fwd: Bank Swallow nests at Plumb Beach
> To: Birding alert, NYSBirds, Birding alert <[email protected]>
>
>
> Updates on these nests:
> Today, the third nest was totally occluded and the fourth one is
half-occluded, and I anticipate it to be gone by the end of the day.
> The reason: people are camping on the top of the cliff exactly
above the nesting wall.
> It is very sad that the first ever Bank Swallow nesting in Brooklyn
will not be successful this year and we won't have any new generation of
this species here.
> Gus Keri.
>
> ============ Forwarded message ============
> From: Gus Keri <[email protected]>
> To: "Birding alert, NYSBirds, Birding
alert"<[email protected]>
> Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2022 20:35:40 -0400
> Subject: Bank Swallow nests at Plumb Beach
> ============ Forwarded message ============
>
> > As some of you know there are few nest holes in Plumb beach for
Bank Swallow this season and this happened here for the first time ever,
as far as I know.
> > For the last couple of weeks, there were total 4 holes in a
small sandy wall that span some 10-15 feet high and 15-20 feet wide. I
only saw the swallows go into three of these holes.
> > Today, I saw only two open holes while the other two were
completely occluded with sand.
> >
> > I remember at the beginning that two or three other holes closed
completely with sand, but this was before they started nesting.
> > At that time, I thought they make few nests and then choose one
or two of them to be used.
> >
> > But this time the issue is different. I have seen a swallow go
into one of the two closed nests few times which made the possibility of
nesting bird inside very high. And this made me think; what if there was
a female sitting on the eggs when the hole collapse! Can she make her
way out? Are these holes connected to each other from the inside to
provide an escape?
> >
> > The sand in this wall seems to be soft and can collapse easily.
This will put all the other nests at risk.
> > I have never seen Bank Swallow nests before, so, I have no
knowledge of this trouble.
> >
> > I thought some of you might have an answer.
> >
> > Does sand collapse cause any harm to the nesting birds?
> > Is there anything can be done to protect the current nests?
> >
> > Gus Keri
> >
>
> --
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