Martins were all finally able to get out and hunt for food today, so had time to check all of my gourds. I had one asy female caught in the entrance of one of the troyer gourds, it must have happened late last night since I checked around 7pm yesterday. I do feel lucky that was all I lost since I could not get any of them to eat crickets. Hope everyone's colony is doing better now with some sun and warmth.
Art
Finally sun in Missouri, and only 1 loss
Art, I dropped my houses thinking I would find 20-30 dead but was surprized to find only 1 asy male dead. I had 50-60 before the rain and cold. They're out feeding right now. It's 51 and windy with 30 mph gusts.
dave
dave
PMCA member
Art and Dave,
They are truly amazing. Dave, on my other thread I mentioned that I fully expected to find all of mine dead when I lowered my houses. I haven't had luck with supplemental feeding. I was so happy to discover that the gourds and houses were completely empty. I did lose two--found the body of one female under a pear tree about 10-15 feet from the housing and then found a pile of female martin feathers (I'm thinking hawk attack) about five feet from the houses. I saw two females on the ground (not at the same time so it could've been the same bird), but in both cases the bird was strong enough to fly away from me.
Here's to a nice, mild weekend!
They are truly amazing. Dave, on my other thread I mentioned that I fully expected to find all of mine dead when I lowered my houses. I haven't had luck with supplemental feeding. I was so happy to discover that the gourds and houses were completely empty. I did lose two--found the body of one female under a pear tree about 10-15 feet from the housing and then found a pile of female martin feathers (I'm thinking hawk attack) about five feet from the houses. I saw two females on the ground (not at the same time so it could've been the same bird), but in both cases the bird was strong enough to fly away from me.
Here's to a nice, mild weekend!
Candace
Candace & Dave,
That is great news that you had minimal loss as I did. I hope they are filling themselves up today and the next couple of days as it is suppose to be rainy and cool again next week for a couple of days. I wish you both success this season.
Art
That is great news that you had minimal loss as I did. I hope they are filling themselves up today and the next couple of days as it is suppose to be rainy and cool again next week for a couple of days. I wish you both success this season.
Art
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CraigMo.
- Posts: 1480
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:30 pm
- Location: Missouri/Lone Jack
- Martin Colony History: Active since 2003
Mine came home hungry. I believe to windy for bugs. Their wings are really hanging low.They are eating eggs off my deck railing now. I will be checking my compartments tomorrow . Windy and warmer tomorrow so maybe they will feed on own??? This has been one of the worse springs I have ever dealt with as a pm landlord. I am glad all of you are having good reports though on your compartment checks.
Craig
Craig
Craig
My martins looked ok tonite, some of them had their wings hanging low also, just hope they can make it until tomorrow as the weather forecast sounds pretty good. I work early in the morning so will not be able to check on them until late tomorrow afternoon. Hope yours are doing well also.
Art
My martins looked ok tonite, some of them had their wings hanging low also, just hope they can make it until tomorrow as the weather forecast sounds pretty good. I work early in the morning so will not be able to check on them until late tomorrow afternoon. Hope yours are doing well also.
Art
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ljd-kc
- Posts: 162
- Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:05 am
- Location: Kansas City, Mo.
- Martin Colony History: Started my Colony in 2008 with 32 gourds and one ASY pair. As of 2017 I had 106 cavities with 106 pair.
Art,
Glad to hear yours came thru alright. It has been a hard stretch of weather for them. Hope you have a great season.
Jack
Glad to hear yours came thru alright. It has been a hard stretch of weather for them. Hope you have a great season.
Jack
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Show-Me-Mike
- Posts: 53
- Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 10:08 pm
- Location: MO/Carrollton
Missouri Landlords,
Mother Nature nearly delivered a knock-out punch to the martins here in Carroll County, Missouri. Rain, cold, wind, more rain, more cold, more wind etc. All around lousy spring weather for martins.
You're wise performing daily nest checks. I've saved no fewer than 50+ martins in the past 10 years during foul weather just like what we're having now. I came home one day several years ago and saw a tail feather sticking out of a single compartment. Not passing my smell test, I lowered the house and found 21 martins crammed into that compartment in a desperate attempt to get warm. The last martin had shoehorned itself into the compartment in such a way that none could get out. That is until I arrived on the scene and freed them.
Normally, the greatest risk weather-wise around these parts is your "blackberry winter", the cold spell that sometimes occurs after the blackberry bushes have blossomed. And that can happen most normally in May, after the sub-adults have returned. Not this year though. We got the curve ball thrown at us much earlier coinciding with the return of the adult martins...thankfully since the're more able to survive it.
This morning as I was leaving, I saw several martins on the roof of my house trying to get warm as well as several more on the road doing the same. Bad sign. I wasn't sure how this day would end for the 60+ martins residing in my houses. Got home around 4:30p.m. and all was quiet. Lowered the houses and inspected each of the 48 compartment and not one dead bird found! I was surprised as I had prepared myself for some losses. Fortunately not this time. More fortunate yet, warmer weather on tap for the next couple of days.
Yes, these martins are truly remarkable. I guess if you can migrate 5000 miles, you can endure almost anything thrown at you! Best wishes to all for a successful purple martin season!
Mother Nature nearly delivered a knock-out punch to the martins here in Carroll County, Missouri. Rain, cold, wind, more rain, more cold, more wind etc. All around lousy spring weather for martins.
You're wise performing daily nest checks. I've saved no fewer than 50+ martins in the past 10 years during foul weather just like what we're having now. I came home one day several years ago and saw a tail feather sticking out of a single compartment. Not passing my smell test, I lowered the house and found 21 martins crammed into that compartment in a desperate attempt to get warm. The last martin had shoehorned itself into the compartment in such a way that none could get out. That is until I arrived on the scene and freed them.
Normally, the greatest risk weather-wise around these parts is your "blackberry winter", the cold spell that sometimes occurs after the blackberry bushes have blossomed. And that can happen most normally in May, after the sub-adults have returned. Not this year though. We got the curve ball thrown at us much earlier coinciding with the return of the adult martins...thankfully since the're more able to survive it.
This morning as I was leaving, I saw several martins on the roof of my house trying to get warm as well as several more on the road doing the same. Bad sign. I wasn't sure how this day would end for the 60+ martins residing in my houses. Got home around 4:30p.m. and all was quiet. Lowered the houses and inspected each of the 48 compartment and not one dead bird found! I was surprised as I had prepared myself for some losses. Fortunately not this time. More fortunate yet, warmer weather on tap for the next couple of days.
Yes, these martins are truly remarkable. I guess if you can migrate 5000 miles, you can endure almost anything thrown at you! Best wishes to all for a successful purple martin season!
Michael DeLany
"I'm from Missouri, you got to show me the martins!"
"I'm from Missouri, you got to show me the martins!"
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
Art, as bad as it has been here in MO, I hadn't even thought about how horrible it has been in KS for you guys. But knowing how much windier it gets there, I imagine it has been just awful. I can't stand the wind. Even when it hit 51 here yesterday, the martins were all gathered on the down wind side of the house, huddled there for warmth.
Mike - I didn't realize there was a name for that - "blackberry winter". Interesting. I've been so busy keeping crickets supplied that I hadn't had time to stop and think about how late it is into April now and we're still having this wretched weather!!! Ugggh, so tired of it! And even though I have taught my martins to take supplemental feeding, I'm sure not all are taking it, so I still run the risk of losing some.
Good luck to the Kansas landlords - the wind makes it extra hard to train your martins as it takes extra energy for them to fight the wind and grab the food. Hoping the Gods of summer win the fight soon!
Mike - I didn't realize there was a name for that - "blackberry winter". Interesting. I've been so busy keeping crickets supplied that I hadn't had time to stop and think about how late it is into April now and we're still having this wretched weather!!! Ugggh, so tired of it! And even though I have taught my martins to take supplemental feeding, I'm sure not all are taking it, so I still run the risk of losing some.
Good luck to the Kansas landlords - the wind makes it extra hard to train your martins as it takes extra energy for them to fight the wind and grab the food. Hoping the Gods of summer win the fight soon!
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
Hay guys, Oklahoma is having the same kind of weather too. So far I have keep them feed and have not lost any that I know of .But next week it looks like more of the same.
wishing the best for all of you.
wishing the best for all of you.
Martha
PMCA member
PMCA member
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CraigMo.
- Posts: 1480
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:30 pm
- Location: Missouri/Lone Jack
- Martin Colony History: Active since 2003
I found 3 dead today. 1 on ground 2 in gourds. It is 56 degrees now and not much wind so hopefully they are out feeding. I know they are gone so hopefully hunting is good. Maybe the weather will get better now
Martha I would of thought it would be warmer in Oklahoma , maybe it colder than normal everywhere this year
Craig
Martha I would of thought it would be warmer in Oklahoma , maybe it colder than normal everywhere this year
Craig
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to daveduit@yahoo.com. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
I had 27 and lost 4 so far. I guess this will be the year of hope for the smallest possible lose.
Craig
Sorry to hear about your loss. I worked early today so had to wait until evening to see how mine looked. Of course there was a hawk here and waiting for them so they came back really late but a few were setting outside and looked pretty good. Hopefully have a couple more warm days before the next cold front gets here.
Art
Sorry to hear about your loss. I worked early today so had to wait until evening to see how mine looked. Of course there was a hawk here and waiting for them so they came back really late but a few were setting outside and looked pretty good. Hopefully have a couple more warm days before the next cold front gets here.
Art
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CraigMo.
- Posts: 1480
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:30 pm
- Location: Missouri/Lone Jack
- Martin Colony History: Active since 2003
Art to bad about your hawk problems. Dave your site sounds like mine. I have 36ish pms and have lost 5 total. I was not home tonight so I did not see them to know if they ate or not. Warmer tomorrow but rain is in forecast. Good luck
Craig
Craig