HAZELBROOK REPORT: by Janet Fraser 
     
    
   
   
    
     Nothing startling or rare was observed in Hazelbrook this past year except for the following: 
     
    

    
     One interesting observation was of a big red fox who made himself at home on our farm this 
     
     summer. Early mornings found him crossing our lawn. Any time of day he might be seen in the pastures 
     
     or approaching on farm roads nonchalantly ignoring me on the tractor. He seemed attracted to the hay 
     
     mower sounds, always appearing to clean up the meadow voles. So bold I almost worried he'd be run 
     
     over. Maybe something of the sort befell him; in mid-summer he disappeared. i miss him even if he did 
     
     clean out my last three old free-range hens. 
     
    

    
     Although I have never considered myself to be a true "birder", I had a bird watching experience in 
     
     the summer of '98 which I will remember and hope to repeat. It came about as a result of my efforts to 
     
     attract Tree Swallows to our property by building from plans supplied by Reg "Dutch" Thompson, several 
     
     swallow nest boxes and erecting them near the ponds on our Hazelbrook farm. 
     
    

    
     To my surprise, two of the three were used by pairs of the graceful and handsome birds. The third 
     
     box was claimed by "House Sparrows" which, although unable to enter the opening, chasedinvestigating 
     
     swallows away and used it as a perch through the summer. 
     
    

    
     It was enlightening to watch the parent swallows making trip after trip to the box, almost as if on a 
     
     time clock. carrying untold numbers of flying insects. Natural insect control indeed. The box I could see 
     
     from my sun-room window was on a utility pole halfway up our driveway but the parent birds never 
     
     seemed to alight on the wires after the young were hatched. At last came the morning when no activity at 
     
     all occurred around the nest box. Gone. 
     
    

    
     Then, as | sat down to rest from gardening chores, I noticed birds in the big silver maple at the 
     
     edge of the yard. There were the young swallows - seven of them - perched in the tree, the parents 
     
     making their non-stop feeding trips to whichever youngster had the widest mouth and fluttered most 
     
     frantically. 
     
    

    
     Next day I expected them to be truly away for good but, instead, was treated to an aerial show 
     
     which I had never before witnessed. All seven young birds were taking periodic flight and, as the parents 
     
     swooped in with "dinner", old and young met in mid-flight where, wings a-flutter, the mid-flight meal was 
     
     served and eaten! Needless to say, I didn't get back to chores for some time. What an uplifting sight, to 
     
     observe the symphony of flight; such a common thing really, repeated wherever Tree Swallows are 
     
     fledged. But to me a special gift not to be forgotten. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Want to attract swallows? Here are the "house plans" I used. The design of the entrance is supposed 
     
     to allow the swallows entry while denying sparrows, so keep to the dimensions. Probably more important 
     
     is the fact that there is a pond near each nest box. For mounting the boxes, an eight foot 2 inch by 4 inch 
     
     secured to a fence post right beside the pond worked, as did the utility pole within 50 feet of the water. 
     
    

    
     Put them at least 10 feet high since these birds are very territorial, not nearer than one every 300 ft or so. 
     
    
   
   
    
     TREE SWALLOW HOUSE 
     
     Inside dimensions: 4 1/[4 inches X 4  inches X 8 1/2 inches. 
     
     ,L'“ 3 ' 3 I  ,  ‘  “, Locate opening 2 1/2 inches down from top. 
     
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     Do not add a perch below the opening!