WE'RE NOW READY FOR THE TREE SWALLOWS!

 


Friends of Sam Smith Park volunteers have now prepared sixty-six Tree Swallow nesting boxes for the influx of birds expected this coming week as the weather continues to brighten and warm up.  There are fifty-three in the main "Swallow Field" immediately east of the yacht club and another thirteen on the west side of the park, south of the filtration plant.

Preparation included removing old nesting material, sanitizing against parasites, repairs and the installation of some new boxes.  We give a special thanks to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority who have, over the past seven or so years, provided FOSS with the materials to create this amazing park asset and for their confidence in allowing community volunteers to manage it.

FOSS volunteer Walt Balenovich

It is estimated that over seven hundred young swallows have been raised in Sam Smith Park over the years this project has been running.  That might explain the increasing numbers we see each spring competing for a chance to raise a family where they perhaps were raised.  It is important to remember that this species is in serious decline due to a number of factors, including the scarcity of natural nesting cavities.

FOSS volunteer Bruce Wilkinson

Click here to see previous FOSS posts on our Tree Swallows.