Relating generally but especially to Hal Michael's comments.
We have lived in our very rural house SE of Portland ~45 years. There has
been virtually no housing development withing a couple of miles, but there
has been some vegetation succession, although no extremely.
Our observations of nesting barn swallows in our barn are exactly the same
as Hal's. No Barn Swallows in at least 10 years, before that same as Hal.
(But, literally 50-100,000 Barn Swallows continue to congregate in corn
fields about 50 miles s. of Portland yearly during fall migration)
When we moved in here (January) was a large flock of Evening Grosbeaks
overrunning our sunflower feeder daily for many weeks. Great!
In the 40+ years since we had a single flock ~20 for 15 minutes a couple of
years ago. Otherwise, zilch.
We had regular breeding of Western (I don't accept the split) and Willow
Flycatchers. Gone for decades.
A period about 20 years ago we had a small influx of migratory passerine
breeders. Wiped out by cowbirds which are now gone also.
Regularly breeding Brown Creepers, singing for months. Gone.
Lots of VG and a few Tree Swallows. Declined over decades, now gone.
We still have lots of resident birds, both Chickadees, Bushtits, Stellar's
Jays which appear to raise families entirely on suet, Scrub Jays from
nearby habitat during the hungry, nesting season coming to feeders.
Song Sparrows still persist in normal numbers. During the cowbird years
they seemed to always raise a successful first brood, but the 2nd brood was
virtually all cowbirds. A very few juncos breed through the seasons with a
large flock of about 20-30 wintering reliably. No real changes there.
RB Nuthatches once bred and were reliable in late summer at our Pacific Yew
berries. Now seen only occasionally in winter (except for a huge influx in
fall/winter a few years ago throughout Portland.
To summarize, the dropoff in 3 swallow species, 2 flycatchers, Brown
Creepers, has been the most significant. I believe the passerines were due
to cowbirds, but don't know about the swallows, perhaps a decline in
insects locally?
Bob OBrien Portland
\

On Thu, Aug 1, 2019 at 11:32 AM HAL MICHAEL <ucd880 at comcast.net> wrote:


> I think Doug's response shows just how site-specific impacts can be. We

> have lived in Olympia, in reasonably rural; areas, for 39 years. Much has

> changed.

>

>

> We lived in one house for 25 years. We had a house and barn. In the

> beginning we had Barn Swallows. They nested over the front door, two breeds

> a year, for about a decade. Then, they vanished. We did nothing to prevent

> access to the sites, they just left and we never saw Barn Swallows again in

> the neighborhood.

>

>

> We had Western Bluebirds for four years, early on, and they abandoned us

> even though the nest boxes remained and the pasture remained open.

>

>

> Tree Swallows were the commonest nester in the boxes but gradually

> declined until by 2015 we might have one or two broods total.

>

>

> As the yard landscaping grew, the chickadees switched from all

> Black-capped to a mix with Chestnut-backed.

>

>

> We did have starlings, but the nest boxes were too small for them. In only

> one year, out of 25, was there an issue with House Sparrows. They were rare

> in the area.

>

>

> Something other than development and loss of nesting sites was chasing the

> swallows away. Since we were there for so long, we could see that the

> succession in plants changed the habitat. The first year, after the Scot's

> Broom was mowed, we had a Killdeer nest in the pasture as it was rather

> open with lots of bare ground. Soon as the grass came in, they moved to

> road shoulders and the railroad right-of-way. I don't think we appreciate

> how much our local area changes. Which is not to diminish the effects of

> pesticides, cats and dogs, knocking down of mud nests, and more crows going

> after cup nests.

>

>

> We need to have long-term data sets, even if it is just a decades-long

> collection of routine observations.

>

>

> Hal Michael

> Science Outreach Director, Sustainable Fisheries Foundation

> Olympia WA

> 360-459-4005

> 360-791-7702 (C)

> ucd880 at comcast.net

>

> On August 1, 2019 at 8:01 AM Doug Schonewald <dschone8 at donobi.net> wrote:

>

> Tweets,

>

> An interesting topic for sure. Valid points taken on both sides. I have a

> little different take on the diminishing of both swallow and the nighthawk

> species in the Sea-Tac area.

>

> First the nighthawks. I can't help but believe that the populations of

> Sea-Tac nighthawks were anthropogenically increased beyond what nature

> could offer them. Their population was increased to the point they were a

> common evening occurrence over the neighborhoods and city. As Ed said they

> had ample nest sights on building roofs. Their population was also centered

> in a place where they were easily viewed by both birders and the portion of

> the general population who are not birders but are always happy to see

> wildlife in the city and suburbia (as long as it doesn't create a mess on

> their property). I also agree with Ed that the likely demise was the large

> increase in crow populations. Open nests on the roofs of building is simply

> food for baby crows. Burgeoning populations of starlings, feral pigeons,

> and house sparrows competing for nesting space is a part of the equation as

> well.

> In Moses Lake, where I've lived for over 30 years, We too enjoyed the

> summer nighthawks on their evening feeding forays. Since the recent influx

> of crows (the last 10 years of so) into Moses Lake we have seen no

> nighthawks outside of migration periods. In addition, we used to have lots

> of neighborhood nesting robins, kingbirds, and orioles. Today there are

> almost none. Robins continue to try, but we watch, helplessly I might add,

> as crows rob the nests and haul off the hatchlings to feed their own young.

> The same happened this year to the only nesting kingbirds in the

> neighborhood. The orioles have given up completely. We haven't had nesting

> orioles in our neighborhood for at least 4-5 years.

>

> The demise of the swallows next. Their populations were also

> anthropogenically increased by human structures offering ample nesting

> sites. They were a daily feature everywhere. Again came the nest raiding

> crows, but they were not the only ones causing problems. As property values

> skyrocketed many 'rural' small farms were sold off for development. The

> older homes, barns, and outbuildings were torn down and pristine new houses

> and apartments were built in their place. These new buildings had neither

> nook or cranny for swallows to use for nesting. Most people who bought

> those homes did not welcome the swallows with open arms. The droppings and

> nesting debris were not welcome additions to their new home's decks and

> porches. Mud nests were knocked down as they were built on porch lights, or

> any other place the BARS could find to build a nest. In addition, there was

> no need (in the Suburbians' minds) for bird houses for the VGSW. They too

> became a nuisance and left a mess. Another nail was added to the proverbial

> coffin when it became profitable enough for developers to buy up older

> homes, tear them down, and build multi-story townhouses and apartment

> buildings so that 4-6 families could live in the same space that 1-2

> families used to live on. Again, the new townhouses and apartments had

> neither nook or cranny for nesting sites. The residents of these newer

> buildings also had no patience for the mess the birds would leave. The

> crows didn't help but they weren't the only culprit. Starlings, feral

> pigeons, and house sparrows compete for any nesting space available.

> The same is true in Moses Lake. As the older homes disappear and new ones

> replace them we're seeing fewer and fewer swallows. The one exception is

> some of the older business buildings where we now see a few nesting VGSW

> (where we seldom saw them previously). I can't help but believe that as

> those older building deteriorate with time that a few nooks and crannies

> have opened up. I've tried to put up nest boxes for the VGSW, but they are

> quickly occupied by the burgeoning house sparrow population. Nesting

> platforms for Barn Swallow have met with no success. I imagine that if a

> robin has a tough time fledging young with their nest hidden in a conifer,

> then barn swallows would meet with even less success with a nest out in the

> open. I've taken them down as there is no sense in feeding crows, and the

> swallows would be better served by going out of town to raise their family.

>

> Personally I think it is unfortunate that personal observation is ignored.

> I understand the need for documented science. At the same time, I have to

> wonder, in this situation, if documenting populations of swallows,

> nighthawks, and crows populations by observation, and the personal

> observations of crow depredation on nestlings would be considered science?

> It would seem a perfect opportunity for a citizen science project. Even so,

> if crow populations were shown to be a problem with the nesting success

> other birds it still doesn't discount, nor measure, the myriad of other

> anthropogenic problems generated by people; lack of nesting sites,

> destruction of nests, lack of nesting materials, and so on and so on.

>

> Doug

>

> --- ednewbold1 at yahoo.com wrote:

>

> From: Ed Newbold <ednewbold1 at yahoo.com>

> To: Tweeters Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> Subject: [Tweeters] Quibbling over the absence

> Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2019 05:39:18 +0000 (UTC)

>

>

> Hi all,

>

>

>

> The biologists who are working in the Wildlife Dept and federal

> bureaucracies trying to figure out which species to help and then doing the

> heavy lifting to get these conservation efforts underway are some of the

> greatest heroes of our time and they are carrying out a daunting, nearly

> impossible task. Kim Leonard and Kelly McAllister are to be vociferously

> thanked whenever the opportunity arises. I am totally in awe of both, and

> others in those jobs, they are truly my heroes.

>

> Before they can move person-hours and spend tax-money, they need hard data

> and scientific proof. Absolutely, and more power to them in that quest.

>

> But I have a friendly quibble with a statement Kelly made to tweeters--not

> the one about rodenticides, which was typically very helpful, but that, and

> I'm paraphrasing, before he signs on to the idea that there have been major

> anthropogenic losses, he would need to see some pretty good data.

>

> That's a totally valid point for anyone in his position but it shouldn't

> blind the rest of us, who are only trying to understand what is going on,

> to changes that may have occurred in the absence of rigorous data-gathering.

>

> The Common Nighthawk is in my opinion a most dramatic example, where an

> entire breeding population of Puget Sound, Willamette Valley and Lowland BC

> roof-nesting birds was obliterated between the early 70s probably and

> 1981. I have testimonials from various people who were alive at the time,

> saved to my computer, that I could share. A memory is "anecdotal," but at

> this point it's digital. If you remember breeding Nighthawks in Seattle

> and you are not demented or a liar, (I'm only demented) that can

> scientifically be compared to the fact that there are no breeding

> Nighthawks in Seattle now.

>

> We are currently losing Barn Swallows. Driving around Beacon Hill, I have

> memory-imprints of many of the traditional sites which I would always see

> occupied year-to-year for much of my 36 years on the Hill. I remember fall

> gatherings on the Hill of multiple birds. Now other than the Jeff Park

> birds, I'm not sure there are any. I think Crows drove out the

> Nighthawks--I won't go through my reasoning--but the culprit with Barn

> Swallows is more inscrutable, and I haven't searched the literature which I

> suspect is inconclusive anyway. Violet-green Swallows are also collapsing,

> although there seem to be a few families left on the Hill. As with

> Nighthawks, I presume no one has ever collected data on Seattle's upland

> Swallows in a scientific fashion--or any fashion--over the appropriate time

> period.

>

> If anyone has evidence to prove I am being overly gloomy, there is nothing

> I would rather be than proven wrong.

>

>

>

> Thanks all,

>

>

>

> Ed Newbold, ednewbold1 at yahoo.com on residential Beacon Hill where the

> yardlist has, unprecedentedly, for two years not had a Barn Swallow on it.

>

>

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