Q: Our housing association recommends that birdseed be microwaved to prevent it from germinating. Do you know how long we should zap it and what setting we should use?
A: This question has been around for a long time, and there are a number of Internet sites that recommend baking or microwaving seed to prevent germination. However, bird experts don't seem to think it's a good idea. For one thing, heating the seed will pull out the oils, making a mess and causing the seed to be less nutritious for birds — they need the calories in the oil. In addition, some research indicates that baking at low temperatures won't eliminate the possibility of the seed sprouting. If seeds sprouting under feeders is a major concern, there are more effective things you can do.
For one, you could place pavers under the feeders to catch dropped seed and shells, then sweep or rake up this material on a regular basis. Or you could offer seed that has no possibility of sprouting, such as shelled pieces of sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts. These are an excellent food source for birds and are very popular with many species. The only drawback here is that rain can spoil these foods, since they lack a protective shell, so feeders should be shielded from the elements by a roof (or taken in when it rains).
Gosling day care
Q: Last year we had two pairs of Canada geese hanging out with their goslings on our pond. I'm wondering if they were sharing parenting responsibilities or just happened to like the same location.
A: You're right about Canada geese sharing gosling-minding duties. Sometimes several adults will keep a watchful eye on 10, 15 or even more youngsters, while their parents take a break. This kind of gathering is called a crèche by ornithologists, and is an amazing sight.
Tree swallow boxes
Q: I've built two dozen tree swallow nest boxes with perches and want to put them up soon. When should I do this?
A: You deserve a big pat on the back for creating housing for cavity nesters, since there are never enough holes in trees to go around. I hope you can take one more step, though, and that is to remove those perches. Tree swallows don't need them because they fly straight into a nest box without stopping, but perches tend to attract house sparrows. As you probably know, house sparrows compete fiercely for nest boxes and will even kill swallows to take over their space.
As soon as the boxes are "perchless," I'd set them out in likely habitat for your swallows. They prefer to be near water and open spaces so they can pursue flying insects. It's best if the entrance hole faces east or south, which will help keep the prevailing winds and rain out of the boxes.