Hi All,
It's unfortunate that any bird was ever officially named a "Common" anything,
or that we take any birds abundance for granted. I was just birding
extensively in the Carolina low country (My apologies to the NAACP) and for
eight evenings in different places searched and listened for Common
Nighthawks, which my book "Birds of the Carolinas" implied should be common
(published 1980). Needless to say we didn't find any. (The same book, by the
way, claims the Kestrel has disappeared as a breeder from the North Carolina
piedmont region in the last decade, and of course we didn't see them in South
Carolina either.)

Likewise when we think of Barn Swallows as being abundant we insulate
ourselves from noticing that this species may be on a path from "abundant" to
"Common". Other than what information can be gleaned from the valiant
efforts of those who do the breeding bird survey, we know zilch about urban
swallow population trajectories and won't have advance warning if it goes
extinct here, which could happen in three years (the amount of time it took
the Nighthawk to go extinct here, more or less).

Nobody should be out there thwarting Barn Swallow nesting efforts. Neatness
is not an end in itself. I don't want any neat freak euthenizing me when I
become incontinent, and that's more or less what is already happening in
American Suburbia to Barn Swallows, because lets face it, when you thwart a
Barn Swallow nesting effort, you may be denying the birds their only chance at
reproduction. It's a dangerous round trip to Central America and back.

What's more, Barn Swallows don't need any advice on where to nest. They
choose Barns in rural areas because they know the farmer is a foe of the crow,
and they choose doorstoops and porch fronts in urbania for essentially the
same reason. They want a maximum, not a minimum, of human ingress and egress
because that will keep the crow away. They'll risk cat predation and human
vandalism and nest close to the ground if it is in a place frequented by
humans. As a species they have decided to seek shelter in the human umbrella
from their arch enemy the crow (Jays and Magpies may also figure in some
places).

If a Barn Swallow is so kind as to ask you to be its protector, you should
feel honored and obligated. I leave out a mud bath so they can build their
nest with a minimum of energy, and our pair has returned and built a nest but
in this cold weather has not yet laid. I could easily reach inside the nest
without standing on tiptoes, and the birds don't even use their "Pacheek"
danger call when they see me, my wife or the postal person come by, but always
use it if a crow comes in close.

I have the greatest respect for Russell Link, who I think is a genuine hero of
Northwest Conservation. I am proud that his book is the only book I sell in
my store, and this won't change. But Russell, you shouldn't imply that it's
ok to disallow swallow reproduction over non-life threatening issues.


--Ed Newbold, Tweeter by Digest, Beacon Hill Seattle,
newboldwildlife at netscape.net




____________________________________________________________________
Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com.