March 17, 2012
Tree Swallow Boxes at Fresh Pond Reservation
Today, volunteers put up 13 of the Reservation's 15 tree swallow nesting boxes that have provided nesting sites for these insect-eating birds since 2004. Each year, after the young birds have fledged and left the nest, the boxes are taken down, washed, and stored in a garage for the winter. They are put back up before the birds return from their southern wintering grounds, usually by the end of March. Upon their return, the birds immediately start looking for nesting sites. The two remaining boxes will be placed in the Lusitania wet meadow, presumably by someone with tall waterproof boots.
This box, located in the planting bed of the Water Department parking lot, usually attracts Black-capped Chickadees, another welcome resident.
NESTING BOX REPORT AND MAP