To peek or not to peek

[Diane Porter]

It seems that at last, after years of waiting, we have a purple martin nest in our gourd rack. The female is looking out of her gourd every morning about 6 A.M. I think she must be sitting on eggs.

She does not seem greatly afraid of me, although she flies away if I walk directly below her.

I am very curious about what is in that nest, but I've been afraid to lower the gourds and have a look, lest I cause the pair to abandon the eggs. Both parents are second-year birds.

What is the wisdom of experience landlords? Should I look?

[David sh]

If you only have one pair I would be reluctant to look just yet. Maybe wait till you see them making feeding trips after the eggs have hatched. If it is a telescoping pole I would not chance lowering it. Check with a tall step ladder rather than use telescoping pole. To me they are too risky. If you don't have predator gaurds on I would do that before worrying about seeing inside the gourd. you have waited too long to leave anything to chance with raccoons or snakes. I like using a 8" diameter stove pipe guard for raccoons with bird netting on top of it for any snake that might get past she stove pipe

[Diane Porter]

Thank you for the advice, David Sh. We use the Lone Star Pole with a winch, so we can easily lower the gourds when we choose. We do have a predator guard in place that is designed to work with that pole. But I've been wondering whether we should look inside. So I appreciate your insights.

[Dan Clodfelter]

Go ahead and look and lower the lone star rack when looking ! Your martins must get used to it and they wont mind anyway. Your martins will like you better for looking as they want you to look after them . I am sure many others will tell you the same thing . If I didnt lower and check my gourd racks this year , I would not get to see 600 baby purple martins and 300 adults so far .

[Diane Porter]

Hi Dan. Wow! 600 babies! That must be something to behold. It must have taken decades to build it up to that level.

I hope our colony will grow also. Right now I'm just hoping that this first pair makes it and fledges young. Thank you for replying. I'm very open to the advice of people who have martins nesting.

[AvianStewardess]

Hello, Diane. I am new landlord and have my first nesting pair in the system I put up. I did my first check coincidentally the day she laid her first egg. I have attempted to look twice since then but (despite being 99% sure otherwise) the momma has been on the nest. Scared the willies out of me...terrified I would see her fly off in a spook, never to return. But that has not been the case...despite this newbie's confidence that her birds wouldn't behave like the experts'! Crack me up!

[DebA]

From the moment I saw your subject title I thought...peek. Further reading and I still say peek. Eggs aren't babies but my experience has been my martins not minding my nest checks. Even on days (pm) they are still laying their clutch. They may chatter at you and I just say yeah yeah I'm hurrying.

I've seen egg shell encapsulating (where half of a hatched egg ends up around a yet to be hatched egg...and stopping that from happening) and I find the miracle of seeing a baby on day one so cool. So tiny, yet strong and then it's amazing how quickly they grow. I'd look...like Dan said these birds welcome human interaction. It's such a part of their charm.

Deb

[flyin-lowe]

Go ahead and do a check, just don't do it early in the morning. This is when the egg laying usually occurs. It seems every year I have at least one female that stays on the nest each time I lower the housing. Many flush out when I begin lowering it and they always return.

[Bob Fraser]

as flyin-lowe suggested - wait until sometime in the middle to late afternoon to check them. The birds are generally off hunting then and less likely to be laying an egg..