Apparently it is not necessary to have invasive species such as House Finches or
Starlings on hand to disrupt swallows at a nest box. Our Violet-greens
(Violent-greens?) can do it for themselves. We had a seemingly contented couple
moving into the front nest box, bringing dead grass stalks, etc. until this
weekend. While my husband and I were working in the garden there was unrelenting
warfare between a female who seemed to be guarding the box (she's the only one
who ever went in) and one or more males. In less than the space of an hour I saw
her jumping at, or being raked off the box by, a male and the two of them
falling into the flower bed below - three times! Other swallows were zooming
around at about nest box height, but all that I got a decent look at seemed to
be males.

The fighting went on all day and much of the evening. The next day, no female in
evidence. Saw a male stop at the hole a few times and chirp at flying swallows.
Today, no action at all. We are back to square one.

My theory is that something happened to the original male and the female was not
ready to accept that and relinquish her claim on the box. Alternately, maybe
something happened to the original female and an intruder female was causing
wild discord. Something was sure out of balance.

None of the strife over the front nest box induced any swallows to take up
residence in the rear nest box. Hmph.

Chris Maack
Bird Treatment & Learning Center
Anchorage, AK
73201.3124 at compuserve.com