Should you mount the swallow house in a location that gets full sun,
partial sun, or shade? I have a swallow house that gets a good amount
of sun, but has remained vacant for 2 years?

Mike Seamans
Seattle, WA
a-mikese at microsoft.com


>----------
>From: 'Dan' Daniel Victor[SMTP:dvictor at u.washington.edu]
>Sent: Monday, April 29, 1996 10:12 AM
>To: WA State/B.C. Birders List
>Subject: Re: Sparrow restrictive openning on bird house
>
>On Thu, 25 Apr 1996, Charles Evans wrote:
>
>> Hi Dan: In a message to tweeters some time ago you referred to a bird
>> house with a sparrow restrictive openning. This allowed violet green
>> swallows access. I would greatly appreciate a description of this means
>> excluding sparrows, or a reference where I could find this information.
>> It would probably be of interest to others on tweeters too. I gave up
>> attempts to attract vg swallows years ago because of the pesky sparrows!
>
>Hi Chuck and Tweets,
>
>Below is a Sparrow restrictive house design I've had success with in
>the city.
>
> Violet-green SWALLOW HOUSE - Urbanites
>
> /-------------------------------/|
> / / |
> / / |
> / /| |
> /______________________________/ | |
> | ___ | | 6"
> | ( ___ ) | |
> | | |
> | | |
> | | |
> | | /
> | | / 4"
> |-------------------------------|/
> 8"
>
> The opening is an oblong 7/8" high by 2" wide. This can be made
>by drilling two 7/8" holes and using a keyhole saw to cut out the extra
>wood in the middle. The bottom of the entrance should be 3" from the
>bottom of the house. This entrance shape keeps out House Sparrows
>while
>allowing Violet-green Swallows in. The design of this house is by
>Hubert
>Prescott, taken from a sheet published by the Black Hills Audubon
>Society.
>
> An alternative opening is an elongated diamond 7/8" high and 3
>1/2" wide designed by Gene Derig of Anacortes, WA. Besides the VG's I
>had
>a pair of Black-capped Chicadees accept the diamond opening version of
>this house last year, even though it was suspended under the eave of
>the
>roof!
>
> Dan Victor
> Wallingford District of Seattle
> dvictor at u.washington.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>