Hi all,

My friend Carolee Colter, who has moved to Nelson BC, had a problem with a
Violet-green Swallow?using a?nest-box that neither she nor I understand.? Does
anyone have an idea as to what could have caused the event described in the
following post from Carolee?:

Yesterday around 1 PM Paul and I were out on our porch enjoying the sunshine and
I watched two Violet-Greens fluttering against the side of our neighbor's house
inspecting a hole a flicker had drilled earlier and the neighbor had patched.?
It was such an inferior hole to our swallow box (the one you gave me) right in
plain sight.? I asked Paul why they were avoiding our box to look at such a
meager hole. He said he'd heard some scratching and stirring within our box and
he wondered if something was in there. But what could it be?? We got the ladder
and Paul went up and opened the box.? He said, "There's a swallow in here."? He
brought down a female V-G in his hand. She was making no effort to resist.? She
opened her eyes and I thought in that moment she was so beautiful, I had to do
whatever I could to help her.? I ran into the house and called BEAKS, the bird
rehab place about 40 miles from our house.? THe woman who runs the center said
not to give her any food or water, put a towel in a box with a lid and put her
in there and keep it dark and come in right away.? In a few minutes we were off
with the swallow in a box on Paul's lap.? When we got to the rehab center, the
bird was still alive. The woman who runs the center and a volunteer immediately
took her into another room and gave her liquid food with a dropper. They had
little to say to me.? I signed a surrender form and made a donation.

Later that afternoon the woman called me back and said nothing appeared to be
broken, no visible injury and the bird was continuing to eat and move around a
little.? My theory is that she was just starving and dehydrated from being
trapped in the box, but we can't figure out why she was trapped in the first
place.? We've seen other swallows go in and out of the box, and even a House
Sparrow (which is why we took the box down last year.)? Now Paul refuses to
leave the box in place. He's afraid of this happening to more swallows.? Do you
have any light to shed?

End Quote.

Thanks in advance?for any help or informed speculation even.

Ed Newbold Wildlife Artist

Post Scripts:

sellingViolet-green Swallow boxes at www.ednewbold.com? (I realize that wasn't
the best advertisement, but in any case, these boxes are a different
manufacturer)

Also at www.ednewbold.com?: a few shots of migrants so far this year (Nashville
Warbler, Pac-slope Flycather & Hermit Thrush) from Butyl Creek at SIGHTINGS.
And a last call for the Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest in?NEWS: scroll down one
blog.

The Leavenworth Birding Festival's website is at
http://www.leavenworthspringbirdfest.com/ARTS.HTM

Thanks again, Ed