[cobirds] Swallow departures from northern Front Range in 2013
So, is it just me or does it seem like Barn Swallows have been the last swallow species standing for much longer this late summer-autumn than usual? In the way of example, in the northwest corner of Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins there is a bridge over a ditch that hosts nesting by both Cliff and Barn Swallows. It appears to me the Cliff Swallows were single-brooded this year and the Barns did their normal double nesting. Last Cliff was seen there, or anywhere else for that matter, on 4 August. Birder's Handbook by Erlich et al says Cliff Swallows usually have 1 brood, sometimes 2-3. I guess the weather this year, particularly the late spring storms and a resultant late start to nesting, determined 2013 as a single brood year for the Cliffs. I just don't recall a year when for essentially all of August and September if one sees a swallow, one could assume the overwhelming possibility was Barn. Given the explosion of aerial insects of late, it seems ironic that a major group (excepting Barn) of insect-eaters is no where to be seen. The analogy that comes to mind are sports fans who leave the game early, only to hear during their drive home that the home team pulled off a record-setting comeback. Just what is the environmental clue that dominates the decision of a species to refrain from, or go for, an additional brood? Ditto for migration south. Is it day-length, nighttime temps, an assessment of available food resources now and into the near future, something else? I'd be interested in the observations of others about Cliff, or any other swallow species for that matter, departing earlier this year compared to a normal year, if there is such a thing in CO? Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/SNT148-W60068E8E52E131D8362687C1280%40phx.gbl. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [cobirds] Swallow departures from northern Front Range in 2013
I saw a group of barn swallows (maybe 10-12) Tuesday morning (September 24) on the wires above the parking lot at Claymore Lake, Reservoir Ridge, Fort Collins foothills open space. They were munching up the bugs in the air. Libby Edwards Fort Collins On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 10:29 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN daleather...@msn.comwrote: So, is it just me or does it seem like Barn Swallows have been the last swallow species standing for much longer this late summer-autumn than usual? In the way of example, in the northwest corner of Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins there is a bridge over a ditch that hosts nesting by both Cliff and Barn Swallows. It appears to me the Cliff Swallows were single-brooded this year and the Barns did their normal double nesting. Last Cliff was seen there, or anywhere else for that matter, on 4 August. Birder's Handbook by Erlich et al says Cliff Swallows usually have 1 brood, sometimes 2-3. I guess the weather this year, particularly the late spring storms and a resultant late start to nesting, determined 2013 as a single brood year for the Cliffs. I just don't recall a year when for essentially all of August and September if one sees a swallow, one could assume the overwhelming possibility was Barn. Given the explosion of aerial insects of late, it seems ironic that a major group (excepting Barn) of insect-eaters is no where to be seen. The analogy that comes to mind are sports fans who leave the game early, only to hear during their drive home that the home team pulled off a record-setting comeback. Just what is the environmental clue that dominates the decision of a species to refrain from, or go for, an additional brood? Ditto for migration south. Is it day-length, nighttime temps, an assessment of available food resources now and into the near future, something else? I'd be interested in the observations of others about Cliff, or any other swallow species for that matter, departing earlier this year compared to a normal year, if there is such a thing in CO? Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/SNT148-W60068E8E52E131D8362687C1280%40phx.gbl . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CABwznzJ-PcQLwi6_4QjGNTvoyo%3Dr--UAA67cHb1A4wHWk6NOPg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: [cobirds] Swallow departures from northern Front Range in 2013
Actually they are called flocks and not groups of barn swallows :+) Plus we still have a hummingbird on our feeder every day, some kind of immature or female, probably broad-tailed. Libby Edwards Fort Collins Larimer Co On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 4:04 PM, Libby Edwards libbyeu...@gmail.com wrote: I saw a group of barn swallows (maybe 10-12) Tuesday morning (September 24) on the wires above the parking lot at Claymore Lake, Reservoir Ridge, Fort Collins foothills open space. They were munching up the bugs in the air. Libby Edwards Fort Collins On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 10:29 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN daleather...@msn.com wrote: So, is it just me or does it seem like Barn Swallows have been the last swallow species standing for much longer this late summer-autumn than usual? In the way of example, in the northwest corner of Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins there is a bridge over a ditch that hosts nesting by both Cliff and Barn Swallows. It appears to me the Cliff Swallows were single-brooded this year and the Barns did their normal double nesting. Last Cliff was seen there, or anywhere else for that matter, on 4 August. Birder's Handbook by Erlich et al says Cliff Swallows usually have 1 brood, sometimes 2-3. I guess the weather this year, particularly the late spring storms and a resultant late start to nesting, determined 2013 as a single brood year for the Cliffs. I just don't recall a year when for essentially all of August and September if one sees a swallow, one could assume the overwhelming possibility was Barn. Given the explosion of aerial insects of late, it seems ironic that a major group (excepting Barn) of insect-eaters is no where to be seen. The analogy that comes to mind are sports fans who leave the game early, only to hear during their drive home that the home team pulled off a record-setting comeback. Just what is the environmental clue that dominates the decision of a species to refrain from, or go for, an additional brood? Ditto for migration south. Is it day-length, nighttime temps, an assessment of available food resources now and into the near future, something else? I'd be interested in the observations of others about Cliff, or any other swallow species for that matter, departing earlier this year compared to a normal year, if there is such a thing in CO? Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/SNT148-W60068E8E52E131D8362687C1280%40phx.gbl . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Colorado Birds group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CABwznzJR79W1zP%3DztO8NbgxSuyH02N31jhYngHj%3DEtq%3D2JZ_0A%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
