Subject: Re: chickadees
Date: May 30 09:55:31 1995
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at ups.edu


Birds nest at sites until
>the tick infestation (the little blighters hide out in rock crevices outside
>the breeding season) gets too high, then move on. The birds return to the
>former colony afte ra few years once most of the ticks have died off and the
>cycle repeats.
>
>I assume the same might be true for hole nesters.
>
>Stuart MacKay

It's true for Cliff Swallows, which are unusually heavily parasitized by a
variety of arthropods.

How about a fall Audubon/Mountaineers excursion to clean out those nests on
those cliffs?

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416