Deaths due to the cold temperatures?

[salandry54]

Well, I was so excited to have 3 adult males and 1 female show up about a week or so ago...but, then we had several nights of 25, 27 degree weather with rain/wind. I had never attempted feeding scrambled eggs before, but I decided to try it ---- was unsure if they needed it, but thought I would try. None took to the eggs, but I was impressed at my ability to fling them into the air using a plastic spoon. 2 of the adult males flew off seeming to scold me for throwing food at them. So, I decided they must be okay. Well, we lowered our house today to put up a new predator guard, and there they were...the adult female dead in one suite and an adult male dead in the another. I had put pine needles in the suites when we first put the house up end of January. I want to cry! The weather is supposed to be 50s and 70s all next week with no rain in the forecast. I hope the subfreezing temps are OVER for this year! This is so sad!

[CraigMo.]

Sorry, you tried to help them. I am going to try to train my pms this year to take crickets by flipping. I have lost pms before due to cold weather. It is no fun. Well hopefully your rest of the year will be a great year.
Craig

[birdy girl]

Stephen and Annette,
Here are some suggestions for next time. Fling the crickets out in front of the martin and a little bit away from them. Also if they don't start catching the crickets, you could put some crickets on the porch of where they are staying for the night or just inside the gourd or house. Sometimes they will eat from the porch or inside the gourd/house. Try feeding the martins many times this year, during cold spells or rainy days. We tried many times before they finally caught on to the flinging crickets and fortunately we have never lost any martins to cold weather. But we also have a few martins that have never learned to take crickets from us. Also put up a feeting platform and place pullet grit and crickets on this feeding station. If they will sit on the station, sometime they will start pecking at what is there and finally learn food is available there. THe last couple of years we have some parents that would go to the feeding tray and get crickets and scrambled egg and feed there babies during cold spells, very foggy morning, or rainy days. This probably helped save some of the babies lives. Also don't forget about hand warmers (18 hour). We have used these also. Just watch and see what cavity they are staying in and put the hand warmer in those cavities under the nesting material. These are all just ideas for you that we have done here and they worked.

Sorry for the loss of your martins. I know it hurts deeply because everyone here loves them dearly and anticipates there arrival with such joy. Just keep trying to teach them to take food from you and don't ever give up until they learn. If one or two will catch on, then many of the other will also. Supplemental feeding will save their lives.

[Virgil McCoy]

Terrible, sorry for the bad start to the season. Here in DeRidder it got down to 21 a couple of nights and I've only seen one male a few days ago but he's not returned. I hope he is roosting with other birds somewhere and will return soon.