This seems to be one of those typical human-wildlife conflict issues that is a tough one.
Fact: cliff swallows build nests on manmade structures Fact: cliff swallows produce droppings Fact: cliff swallows eat aerial insects, including large numbers of mosquitoes that might be vectoring West Nile Virus Fact: cliff swallows harbor ectoparasites called bat bugs that are close relatives of bedbugs and suck blood from both nestling and adult swallows Fact: bat bugs still in nests after the birds migrate can come into human structures and suck blood from humans OK. Of course, I like cliff swallows. The more cliff swallows around, the better the world would be for all of us living things. While I understand and even share, at least in part, all the points of view expressed during this thread, I doubt confronting and shaming the hotel would be best. Going forward, here are two scenarios that seem the best to me: Scenario One: The hotel is aware that historically parts of their structures get chosen by swallows each year. They recognize the benefits of this in terms of free "pest control", create detours around the messy areas under the nests, put up signage at these sites and a poster in the lobby explaining their tolerance and hope that guests share their reasoning and go along with little inconveniences that might result. This posted information should also explain that after the swallows migrate and have finished providing ecological services that reduced the need for pesticide applications on the grounds (for mosquitoes, etc.), the nests will be washed down. Scenario Two: The hotel is aware that historically parts of their structures get chosen by swallows each year. They also decide they would rather not have to deal with the mess, and the potential for bat bugs entering their hotel to feed on guests. They choose to discourage the swallows by hosing down the initial nest construction attempts from Day 1 in April for as many times as it takes for the swallows to give up and go elsewhere. The scenario that actually happened recently, where the nests were hosed down when they contained eggs and young is very unfortunate and appears to be a violation of the law IF, as it was pointed out, they directed the hosing effort strictly at the swallows and it wasn't just done as a general cleaning operation. Intent, as also pointed out, is very difficult to prove. Maybe if the proper set of people involved with the local hotel and maybe even corporate could be identified and talked into meeting with birders, a couple of us could do so this coming late autumn or winter to suggest a different approach, like Scenarios 1 and 2 above, for the spring-summer of 2020. I would be more than happy to be involved in such an educational session that avoided further polarization of birders and "the other side". Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR0601MB36038093DAE08132016C8D3CC1CD0%40CY4PR0601MB3603.namprd06.prod.outlook.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
