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Hi,
Wondering what to do. For the second time in a week a baby swallow from my yard box has left the box. Definitely not ready to go yet. Luckily I was around and discovered him in the grass while the parent tried to shield him. So after the second time I am wondering if something is bothering him in the box? I am scared to disturb anything and don’t know if there is a problem in there like a dead sibling or something? If so what should I do? Clean it out somehow? Leave it? Scared I will screw something up.
Ok so i stuck my phone in to snap a photo and mites on my phone assuming that is what is bothering them!
My posts have disappeared twice. I’m going to try this without posting links, in case that was the problem.
I don’t have personal experience with this. I did find two articles at Sialis.org. If you haven’t already, go there and search on premature fledging and also mites in nest box.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
Swallows get mites very easily, especially purple martins. My tree swallows get them occasionally too but not often. The Purple Martin community uses Sevin with 5% carbaryl to put under the nest. but that is hard to find. So the new thing that is recommended is 0.25% Permethrin “Garden and Poultry” dust. You only put a 1/3 of a tsp under the nest but it works very quickly. You don’t put it on the nestlings.
If your totally against chemicals then you’ll need to do a nest change and wipe the box down with alcohol wipes.
The problem is those tree swallows are probably at the age where they won’t want to stay in the nest once they’ve learned to get out.
You have to weigh the pros and cons. If they’re going to fledge in a few days you might decide to just let it go.Tammy
If you can’t get that young one to stay in, you could take it to a a nature center that does songbird rehab.
Tammy
Well I should have listened to Tammy. That baby got out again and died. No idea what happened to the other babies. I have a predator baffle up and the hole has an extra buffer. I can only assume a raccoon somehow snuck them out or a bird picked them out somehow . This year has been a dud. No bluebirds yet (other than a visit in early May and a total tree swallow nest failure. PA weather was probably a factor as June has been mostly miserable weather for tree swallows. Oh well next year.
Sad news.
One of the links I tried to post was to an article, and to the point it mentioned that the young bird was unlikely to stay in the nest. The article also mentioned that in the event, get the baby off the ground and on a branch of a bush or whatever, just get it off the ground. The idea is that the adults will take care of it and to just get it out of immediate danger. I have my doubts.
This made me think about what I would do. The Florida Bluebird Society has a number for a bird rehab or rescue. I should put it in my contacts. I don’t have experience with how responsive they are, and don’t know anyone yet that does have experience.
- Ira / Coastal NW Florida
PhillyBlues…they might have all jumped because of mites. It’s been a very rough year for a lot of Martin landlords so you are not alone. Many have had many nests of babies that have died because of all the rain.
I’m the future another thing you can try is put a hole reducer on the box and put the baby back in the nestbox. That will keep the baby in but the parents can still feed it. But you have to watch and see if they’re feeding it though. It’s all just trial and error and sometimes doesn’t work. Sorry about your awful year! That’s a terrible feeling. I had a year like that awhile ago.Tammy
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