Last Martins Left August 28
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Penny Briscoe
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:46 pm
- Location: Michigan/Vicksburg
I enjoyed the martins more in August this year than any other year. Because we fledged so many (well over 100), and because many fledged later, the young birds didn't leave as early as they seemed to in the past. After the adults left Barton Lake in southwest Michigan (around August 1), about 50 of this year's fledges hung around and visited our martin houses every day, sometimes a couple of times a day, throughout August. The last visit was August 27. They enjoyed all the roosts I have on and near the houses and helped themselves to the egg shells I had out for them, and treated us to lots of song and chatter. In the later evenings, at dusk, about 200 martins would gather in the tall trees on somewhat distant, woodsy point of the lake. Other martin landlords who have smaller colonies on the lake also visited them there and viewed their antics from their boats in the water. It was all a rare experience and one I hope will be repeated again next season. I wonder--would this be considered a small roost? We do have lots of smaller colonies (one house) within several miles of our lake. The martins we have seen this August have all been fledges (or possibly females), due to their coloring. In mid-August I witnessed only one black, adult male, which seemed sort of strange. Does anyone have any answers? I have had martins for 26 years here, but until two summers ago, I didn't really study them like I am now. I feed them, monitor them, and, of course, worry about them. Now I am wondering where they are--have they made it to Texas where they will no doubt experience peril from the fires and storms being reported.
Barton Lake Martin Lover
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Guest
I haven't seen any around here but I leave my houses up just in case they fly by. I'm in the hill country and don't see a lot but I did have some visitors in May--see my earlier post. Hope I see some of yours flying by!
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Enjoyed your post as I'm in martin withdrawal.
Indeed newly fledged martins in late summer, now called hatching year martins I think, will tend to hang out together, sometimes after old ones have left the area. I had many one year that settled on roosting in a particular house for a few weeks among park sites I manage, and most had not fledged there. They may form mini roosts in trees or other natural areas -- not sure -- but I know at the big roost at Erie, Pa., many HY birds gather on power lines at a nearby picnic area at sunset before joining the big roost out in the reed bed with the older martins at last light.
John Miller
Indeed newly fledged martins in late summer, now called hatching year martins I think, will tend to hang out together, sometimes after old ones have left the area. I had many one year that settled on roosting in a particular house for a few weeks among park sites I manage, and most had not fledged there. They may form mini roosts in trees or other natural areas -- not sure -- but I know at the big roost at Erie, Pa., many HY birds gather on power lines at a nearby picnic area at sunset before joining the big roost out in the reed bed with the older martins at last light.
John Miller