birds or butterflies?

[Rudy Benavides]

Don,

I monitor a few nestboxes at a location that has a 70 box trail and is 
approx. 13,000 acres in size.  As Norbert pointed out, the biologist 
responsible there has also deemed the place to be at capacity for nest 
boxes. The main competition for nesting boxes here has always been between 
bluebirds and tree swallows, but with a smattering of a few other sp. of 
cavity nesters for occupants.  After a brood fledges from the nestbox we 
remove the old nest left behind.  Since we record information on broods, we 
also check the nest contents for things like unhatched eggs, dead birds, 
etc. which may remain buried at the bottom of the nest.  I usually find the 
debris of stuff left behind to be interesting as well.  This year I had a 
combination of tree swallows and bluebirds occupying the boxes that I looked 
after.

In addition to all the feathers that tree swallows use to line their nests, 
I found small insect parts (legs and other appendages),eg., from 
grasshoppers and other inverts (such as cranefly and midge remains).  But in 
the bluebird nests there were the usual insect bits and pieces of hard 
leftover material, including the head and thorax (or a part thereof)of a 
caterpillar or two....in each bb nest box.  I can't provide an id, but the 
boxes are generally located in meadows not too far from the edge of forests. 
  And I suspect these lep. larvae came from forest/edge species, but that's 
just a guess based on observing the bbirds repeatedly flying from the boxes 
to the forest during the nesting period.  Anyway, I think you have to be 
pretty good to id the cat. remains that have been drying inside a hot 
nestbox as long as possibly 4 weeks.  If anyone has any suggestions along 
these lines (testbook, methodology, etc), I would certainly appreciate 
hearing from you as the upcoming season is right around the corner.

I guess my point is, don't just count on tree swallows occupying the boxes.  
There are other cavity nesters that will use them as well and they also 
enjoy the juicier tidbits that are available out there, so consider 
placements, my suggestion, if possible.

Rudy

Maryland
-----------------------------------------------------
>From: "Don Benson" <don.benson at attcanada.net>
>Reply-To: don.benson at attcanada.net
>To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu
>Subject: birds or butterflies?
>Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 15:28:14 -0800
>
>A group of us are trying to enhance a 14 hectare site in Richmond, British
>Columbia. The birders are putting up bird boxes for tree swallows.  The
>butterfly people are trying to attract butterflies by planting larval
>foodplants and nectar plants. Eventually we hope to introduce anise
>swallowtails and purplish coppers to the site.
>
>Will the tree swallows eat the butterflies?  Are we working at cross
>purposes by putting up bird boxes in an area where we are trying to create
>habitat for butterflies?
>
>Don Benson
>
>
>



>Don Benson wrote:
>
> > A group of us are trying to enhance a 14 hectare site in Richmond, 
>British
> > Columbia. The birders are putting up bird boxes for tree swallows.  The
> > butterfly people are trying to attract butterflies by planting larval
> > foodplants and nectar plants. Eventually we hope to introduce anise
> > swallowtails and purplish coppers to the site.
> >
> > Will the tree swallows eat the butterflies?  Are we working at cross
> > purposes by putting up bird boxes in an area where we are trying to 
>create
> > habitat for butterflies?
> >
> > Don Benson
> >
> >
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>
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