Anyone having late egg laying times this year?
compared to last year or the year before? We are close to full but only thing is, hardly any eggs yet and it's April 15th.
2008~(1st yr) 4 pairs, 11 to 12 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
Hi Matt. I was thinking the same thing. I compared this year to my journal from last year and I had eggs on April 5th last year. And my birds were here 2 weeks early this year! I thought they were going to get an early start and get out of here before the heat gets bad. I guess our fickle cold/warm days have them messed up. They are singing dawn song now, so eggs should be forthcoming.
Trisha
PMCA member
2019, 36 pair
PMCA member
2019, 36 pair
Thanks Trish and Ron,
Very interesting Trish as the exact same thing has happened to me this year. They arrived on 02/13/13 which is very early compared to last year and I had eggs on 04/05- 04/06 last year.
This year, 2 nests have them on 04/15. With a sweltering drought coming, It worries me because as Ron mentioned last year, "the heat" and that year was with rain which = food.
no rain= no food = death like 2011.
Also, thanks for the encouraging words on my earlier BB post Trish. Its important to share mistakes because it may help others who still have BB and thats worth alot.
Very interesting Trish as the exact same thing has happened to me this year. They arrived on 02/13/13 which is very early compared to last year and I had eggs on 04/05- 04/06 last year.
This year, 2 nests have them on 04/15. With a sweltering drought coming, It worries me because as Ron mentioned last year, "the heat" and that year was with rain which = food.
no rain= no food = death like 2011.
Also, thanks for the encouraging words on my earlier BB post Trish. Its important to share mistakes because it may help others who still have BB and thats worth alot.
2008~(1st yr) 4 pairs, 11 to 12 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
Hey Matt, I had clutches of 6 & 7 eggs on 4/1 last year. I've been so backed up in work that I haven't done a nest check, but I just knew we had eggs or maybe even chicks. I did get time today to do a quick check of the Gemini rack and to my surprise there were 24 nest complete with no eggs or chicks. It was getting late so I didn't have time to check the main original rack, I'll get to it tomorrow and give you an update.
Kevin
PMCA member
2010 (1 pair) 4 fledged
2011 (19 pairs) 79 fledged
2012 (58 pairs) 264 fledged
2013 (112 pairs) 448 fledged
2014 (116 pairs) 522 fledged
PMCA member
2010 (1 pair) 4 fledged
2011 (19 pairs) 79 fledged
2012 (58 pairs) 264 fledged
2013 (112 pairs) 448 fledged
2014 (116 pairs) 522 fledged
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James Rieman
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:57 am
- Location: Houston/Texas
Matt,
Last year my birds started returning March 4 and the first eggs were laid on April 9. This year my birds returned Feb 17 and I did a nest check on April14 and had no eggs. All my ASY females are building nests and the males are singing the dawn song so hopefully there will be eggs any day. I too am terrified of another bad drought year and cannot bear the idea of having another season with the vast majority of nestlings dead in the nest, although Houston doesn't appear to be hit as hard as most of the rest of the state. It is abnormally dry here though.
Last year my birds started returning March 4 and the first eggs were laid on April 9. This year my birds returned Feb 17 and I did a nest check on April14 and had no eggs. All my ASY females are building nests and the males are singing the dawn song so hopefully there will be eggs any day. I too am terrified of another bad drought year and cannot bear the idea of having another season with the vast majority of nestlings dead in the nest, although Houston doesn't appear to be hit as hard as most of the rest of the state. It is abnormally dry here though.
James Rieman
Houston Texas
PMCA member
2011 - 3 SY pair
2012 - 7 pair
2013 - 10 pair
2014 - 12 pair
2015 - 16 pair
2016 - 17 pair
Houston Texas
PMCA member
2011 - 3 SY pair
2012 - 7 pair
2013 - 10 pair
2014 - 12 pair
2015 - 16 pair
2016 - 17 pair
Thanks for the comparison information James and Kevin. At least I am not the only one experiencing this. It must be weather related this year.
How are you for rain Kevin? You guys are usually good on rain aren't you?
James, Im glad I am not the only one in this region very concerned about this threat of drought. I was beginning to wonder why I was
It really sucks for the birds and seems to come every other year lately.
How are you for rain Kevin? You guys are usually good on rain aren't you?
James, Im glad I am not the only one in this region very concerned about this threat of drought. I was beginning to wonder why I was
It really sucks for the birds and seems to come every other year lately.
2008~(1st yr) 4 pairs, 11 to 12 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
Hey Matt, We have had more than our share of rainfall, planting is about two weeks behind schedule because of the wet fields, sure wish we could send some your way.
I did get to check the original rack today that has the oldest asy pairs and found 46 out of 48 nest completed with 15 containing eggs. There was a total of 56 eggs and 5 nests that had clutches of 6 eggs. The nests that had fewer than 5 were totally covered with leaves. The asy martins are doing a much better job of hiding their eggs from the sy's this year, if I had not moved the leaves back gently with a small extending mechanics mirror, I would have never know they were there.
Last year on 4/14 we had 184 eggs and 18 nestlings and that was with 38 pairs on that date. We finished the season with 58 pairs, and considering that we now have nearly 100 pairs, I would have to say their at least a couple weeks behind schedule. It's probably because we've had one of the coolest March's in years.
Hope you have a blessed 2013 season!
I did get to check the original rack today that has the oldest asy pairs and found 46 out of 48 nest completed with 15 containing eggs. There was a total of 56 eggs and 5 nests that had clutches of 6 eggs. The nests that had fewer than 5 were totally covered with leaves. The asy martins are doing a much better job of hiding their eggs from the sy's this year, if I had not moved the leaves back gently with a small extending mechanics mirror, I would have never know they were there.
Last year on 4/14 we had 184 eggs and 18 nestlings and that was with 38 pairs on that date. We finished the season with 58 pairs, and considering that we now have nearly 100 pairs, I would have to say their at least a couple weeks behind schedule. It's probably because we've had one of the coolest March's in years.
Hope you have a blessed 2013 season!
Kevin
PMCA member
2010 (1 pair) 4 fledged
2011 (19 pairs) 79 fledged
2012 (58 pairs) 264 fledged
2013 (112 pairs) 448 fledged
2014 (116 pairs) 522 fledged
PMCA member
2010 (1 pair) 4 fledged
2011 (19 pairs) 79 fledged
2012 (58 pairs) 264 fledged
2013 (112 pairs) 448 fledged
2014 (116 pairs) 522 fledged
Thanks for up date Kevin. Your colony is huge and Im glad to know Im not the only one. It has been the cold weather setting them back I guess.
Im glad someone is getting rain minus the cold of course. Good luck to you and hav a great Martin Season as well. thanks for the comparisons.
Im glad someone is getting rain minus the cold of course. Good luck to you and hav a great Martin Season as well. thanks for the comparisons.
2008~(1st yr) 4 pairs, 11 to 12 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged