Notes on the Tree Swallow 



By VERDI BURTCH 



With photographs by the author 



T 



HIRTY years ago Tree Swallows 

 were very common over Lake Keuka, 

 at Branchport, N. Y., and from 

 early spring, often before the ice had left 

 the lake, until mid-September, these grace- 

 ful Swallows coursed over the marsh and 

 skimmed over the waters of the lake, their 

 beautiful, irridescent blue backs gleaming 

 in the sun. In those days there were, 

 bordering on the lake and marsh, many 

 old willow, elm, and maple stubs with 

 their deserted Woodpecker holes, and in 

 these the Swallows made their nests. 



As the years passed, the old stubs were 

 cut, or crumbled and fell until all were 

 gone, and the Swallows, after spending the 

 early spring with us, passed on to some more favorable locality to rear their 

 young. 



In the spring of 191 5 I saw a pair of Tree Swallows investigating a box that 



M.\LE TREE SWALLOW 

 Watching female as she leaves the nest, 

 almost turning over as she swings away. 



I had put up on my lot for Bluebirds 

 the lake, and, although the Swal- 

 lows hung around it for several 

 days, it did not seem to suit them 

 exactly and was not used. How- 

 ever, their presence about the box 

 gave me an idea which I carried out 

 the following spring, when I made 

 boxes purposely for the Swallows, 

 [)lacing them on the sides of posts 

 which were driven out in two or 

 three feet of water in the marsh. 

 This was done April 28, when 

 there must have been twenty or 

 more pairs of Tree Swallows living 

 about. 



The very next da\' I saw a 

 Swallow enter one of the boxes, 

 and on May 4 a pair of Swallows 

 were carrying nesting materials 

 into one of them. This same dav 



This box was more than ;o rods from 



M.\LK TREK SW.VLI.OW 



(133) 



