On 5/19 and 6/16 there were 5 Tree Swallow eggs in this box. Two looked like they might be infertile (funny coloring).
On 6/22, there were 9 eggs, four of which (the four towards the bottom of the picture except the one at 5:00 o'clock) had a pinkish tint, indicating they are probably new. It's possible the female realized the eggs were not going to hatch, and laid a new batch, leaving the older eggs in place. It's also possible that something happened to the original female and another female took over the nest.
The following week (6/30 - see photo below) I only saw 8 eggs. Four were pure white, four pinkish. Most of the TRES in neighboring boxes on this trail have already fledged.
On 7/7/07, I found three newborn TRES in the nest. Young from all other boxes in this area have already fledged.
Links and More Information:
Cavity nester photos of nests eggs and youngAlso see:
May 29, 2008 - Take Your Pick (parents feeding fledgling)
June 10, 2008 - That Look Belongs in a Holster (female MOBL)
You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is vital not only for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself—a point that seems to escape many people.
-Gerald Durrell, The Nature Conservancy
