Wild Wild Woods: flying insects

4/10/2023

tree swallows find nest box

The pond is home to Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor who hunt insects 'on the wing'. They catch flying insects while flying low over water or over grasses that the insects forage among.

We have boxes that Tree Swallows use to nest in. This bird was checking the box for suitability.

The box has a 'Sparrow Spooker' (nylon line attached securely with hook-eyes on top and around the entrance) that protects eggs and babies of Tree Swallows from House Sparrows who cannot negotiate the lines. House Sparrows destroy eggs and baby birds in other species' nests.

About this blog "Wild Wild Woods"

Through 2018, the posts on "wild wild woods" were photos taken in my bird garden and a set-aside strip of land that was the old fence row when the suburban lots in my neighborhood were farmed land. That wooded area sheltered a variety of plants and wildlife among the trees, understory, and a brushpile.

Now, my windows look out on a pond.

My new location is another former farm field that became a neighborhood. Fortunately, the wetland was preserved. It includes a pond surrounded by wildflowers, grasses, reeds, and a few trees.

I am pleased to observe and enjoy these places for birds, critters, and plants of central Minnesota.

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4/10/2023

tree swallows find nest box