![]() I've noticed though, that some elms are not being removed for years after being tagged, and in local areas it seems to be spreading. The spreading treetops meet, and make a canopy of shady green in the summer time. Most of the older neighbourhoods (like mine) have elms lining the streets. In spite of everything, the city has done a decent job preserving the elms. There are a couple of photos of the removal, and today the workers are cutting the trees into parts that can be removed. I guess one reason why they wait until now to do some parts is so that the trees fall onto the ice, and can be cut apart. American Elms that have been identified as having Dutch Elm Disease (DED) and marked with the orange/red removal tag, are being cut down for disposal. The winter ritual of tree removal has begun along the river. I don't know if this is just chance (I used to think that Redpolls did not stay here all year round, but have learned from a reliable source that they do - I've just never seen them), and the Martins are just in a different area now, but it is a little bothersome. Getting back to the Purple Martins, I used to see them a lot more in my area than I do now. I haven't seen them around much since then, and wonder if they chose a different place to make nests. The Bank Swallow nests were flooded, and I assume the years brood was killed. About five years ago we went through several wet summers, and the river reached flood levels in late June. Generally, once the river has done it's spring flood thing, it drops back to a 'normal' level. Bank Swallows tunnel into the river banks. The Red River has some steep clay based sides. I was thinking about this bird on my walk this morning, and remembering Bank Swallows a few years ago. ![]() Purple Martins are known to migrate long distances, but to end up on a ship that far off course was deadly, since these birds catch insects on the wing. It is unlikely that it survived, and represents the vagaries of bird migrations. I read today about a purple martin that was found on a ship off the Falkland Islands in 2001. It's been a long winter for these guys, and I hope they make it to the summer. I've seen them around when eagles are around, but perhaps the wind and the cold made them search for food elsewhere. The really interesting part is that there were none of the 'usual suspects' (chickadees, nuthatches and downy/hairy woodpeckers) around. ![]() Blue Jays seem to do it, though I don't know where they go when it's frosty. Some birds seem to semi migrate, moving away when it gets cold, and then coming back when it warms up a bit. I had no idea that those birds would hang around here this long, or at this temperature. Managed to get some shots, though it was 500m or so away from me. I did manage to get my camera out and snap a couple of shots, though I wasn't sure of exposure or even if the battery would work. It was probably 10 m above the river, but up on the bank it was almost at eye level. It was -26C and as I let the dog off into the park, I looked up and a Bald Eagle flew past along the River. Nest may have raised dirt rim in front to help keep eggs from rolling out.Interesting day. Nest (built by both sexes) is cup of leaves, grass, twigs, debris, and usually mud. Sometimes nests in holes in buildings or cliffs. In the east, most martins now use nest boxes. Nest: Natural sites are in cavities, mostly old woodpecker holes, in trees (or in giant cactus in southwest). Male will sometimes have more than one mate. Western martins may nest in looser colonies or as isolated pairs. Usually nests in colonies, especially in east, where almost all are in multiple-roomed nest boxes put up for them. Males return to nesting areas first in spring, establish nesting territories. The old claim of martins eating "2,000 mosquitoes a day" apparently has no basis in fact. Dragonflies may be an important part of diet. Feeds on a wide variety of flying insects, including many wasps and winged ants, and some bees also many true bugs, flies (including house flies and crane flies), beetles, moths, and butterflies.
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