EGG LAYING BEGINS IN SLIDELL

dsonyay · Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:31 pm

Checked the gourds today and my first pair has laid an egg. Almost missed it because she covered it with a couple of oak leaves. Great way to end the day! Now, if I can get the other new arrivals to start building a nest.

My first egg was laid April 21st of last year. So I'm way ahead of schedule. It wasn't until 30 May that I had my first hatchlings from that same gourd. (There were two sets of eggs laid in that gourd). So, I'm way ahead of schedule in that regard.

Laverne · Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:47 pm

Congratulations, David -- and many happy returns...

I think some PM ladies like to play Easter Bunny!

Their eggs can be very difficult to find. There are many nests that I have to feel through the nesting material to find the eggs -- very carefully -- I let my fingers do the walking...

I hope the egg you found today becomes your first fledgling this year!!

CNO~La · Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:36 am

Great news! Things seem to be moving fast this season.

dsonyay · Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:43 am

Yes, I'm much farther along this year as compared to last year. Although, I've only got one pair with a nest and an egg (likely two eggs today), which is what I had last year.

I've got another pair just moving in and I may have a third pair seeting up. Time will tell. I'd be much happier if I could, at least, get two pairs this year.

rrmartins · Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:52 am

Great news for you. Hope they keep laying for you.

dsonyay · Thu Apr 05, 2012 2:34 pm

I think this female will be OK.
We're not having any problems with predators nor S&S.

I'm interested to see nest building start with the other pair. This newly occupied gourd should start any time now-

dsonyay · Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:26 pm

2 eggs :-)

dsonyay · Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:27 pm

2 eggs :-)

JHeap · Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:54 am

Found my first egg here in Waller, Texas. We have 24 cavities and it appears 23 have active nesting going on. I think the almost full capacity has to do with the fact that my son graduated from college and had a two week window of vacation before beginning employment -- he spent it perched out the back window taking care of the sparrow population and the handful of starlings. Now that the martins have taken root they are able to chase off the stray sparrow that lands. Some of the nests are very interesting in that in my gourds, some are building a wall of mud up near the opening. We have never had them do that before. They are adults -- maybe it has to do with the fact that there was plenty of mud available this year! Is this a predator protection?

Laverne · Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:30 am

David: Congrats on the increasing egg contributions.

JHeap: Purple Martins won't tell us why they make mud dams.

But, I believe they build the dams in their nest cavity to keep the contents of their nest behind the dam. In other words, away from the entrance hole. Maybe it has more to do with wind and rain than predators. I can tell you that increasing to 10" gourds with Crescent SREH has stopped the dam building. It took several years - maybe a complete turnover of population; but last year there was only one gourd with a little mud in it. When we offered the PMs 6 x 6 cavities they always built mud dams.