I had 3 PM's arrive March 23. It had been warmer here and I imagine in the South because this is very early for here. The last two years I had them come April 1st. I believe it was March 27 that it reached the mid 70's, and I knew it was too good to be true as the extended forecast predicted colder weather.
I did not know what to do and one night it went down to 21 deg. and naturally water had ice on it. I made some scrambled eggs and put it in the gourds that I knew had martins, by now I had 9. The next day I did not want to lower it and see if they had eaten some because of the temperature, did not want them flying and using valuable energy. This past Saturday it snowed quite hard around 11 am. I made some more eggs and now they were out flying but too high for me to toss any. They were darting around like they were eating but it had to be snow flakes.
Before this I had tried tossing some scrambled eggs but they would not take them.
Today April 11, warmer in the low 50's and they are out and hunting. I did check the gourds where I put the eggs and I see in two that they had eaten some. That is good. They are a tough bird.
Hopefully warmer weather on way
-
ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
David:
Thank goodness the sun is out & it's warming up. It's a bit breezy here this morning.
I had a new Male come in last night, just before dark, & a Female this morning. Total is now 4 ASY Males, 1 ASY Female.
It's been a rough 10 days for the Northern Martins. Cold/rain/snow/wind didn't allow any feeding for 9 of the last 10 days. Nights dropped into the teens, requiring hand warmers to keep them from freezing. I have flipped at least 1300-1400 crickets so far. The snow has melted & warm temps are heading our way
.
You can try to get your colony to feed off a platform, which could make it easier to feed them during bad weather. Some just use a flat board with a edge around it to keep things from blowing off & also a place for the martins to grip. 6 feet high is enough, if you can't attach it to be lowered. Place it several feet from your housing.
I think if you do a search on the forum for platform feeding station or feeding station you may find some info on how others have theirs set up.
Good luck,
Toy in PA
Thank goodness the sun is out & it's warming up. It's a bit breezy here this morning.
I had a new Male come in last night, just before dark, & a Female this morning. Total is now 4 ASY Males, 1 ASY Female.
It's been a rough 10 days for the Northern Martins. Cold/rain/snow/wind didn't allow any feeding for 9 of the last 10 days. Nights dropped into the teens, requiring hand warmers to keep them from freezing. I have flipped at least 1300-1400 crickets so far. The snow has melted & warm temps are heading our way
. You can try to get your colony to feed off a platform, which could make it easier to feed them during bad weather. Some just use a flat board with a edge around it to keep things from blowing off & also a place for the martins to grip. 6 feet high is enough, if you can't attach it to be lowered. Place it several feet from your housing.
I think if you do a search on the forum for platform feeding station or feeding station you may find some info on how others have theirs set up.
Good luck,
Toy in PA
PMCA Member
Toy, rained some during the night and again this morning, but now the sun is in and out. Temperature in the low 50's, and there is a lot of activity around the gourds. Looks like more have arrived, but hard to tell. I will have to go out there and when they fly out I should be able to get an idea of how many there are now.
I have been having a problem with a pair of starlings going into one gourd, I keep on taking their nesting material out and they keep putting it back. I have been trying now for over a week to kill them with my pellet rifle but they are getting so smart that when I open the door they fly. The gourd pole is 38 yards from the house and I sighted the rifle in for that distance just can't get a shot. But I will get them.
Good luck to you and everyone this year.
I have been having a problem with a pair of starlings going into one gourd, I keep on taking their nesting material out and they keep putting it back. I have been trying now for over a week to kill them with my pellet rifle but they are getting so smart that when I open the door they fly. The gourd pole is 38 yards from the house and I sighted the rifle in for that distance just can't get a shot. But I will get them.
Good luck to you and everyone this year.
2013-4 gourds 4 pair
2014-12 gourds 7 nesting pair, 32 fledged
2015-24 gourds 21 nesting pair 79 fledged
2016-24 gourds 21 nesting pair 89 fledged
2014-12 gourds 7 nesting pair, 32 fledged
2015-24 gourds 21 nesting pair 79 fledged
2016-24 gourds 21 nesting pair 89 fledged
-
ToyinPA
- Posts: 2227
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:07 pm
- Location: PA/Avis
- Martin Colony History: The 1972 St. Agnes flood wiped out all the Martins in my area. One day, in 1997-98, 5 or 6 Martins landed on the power wires crossing my back yard. I had no house for them. They kept coming back day after day. We got a martin house a few weeks later & they have been coming back every year since. I average 12-15 pair per year.
David:
We bought the "Starling House, Sparrow Nest box trap (wooden house) from the PMCA's store. Mounted it on the side of our garage. We always get a few in it. I think we trapped 7 last year. Lay some seeds & nesting material on the ledge below the opening. Draws them in.
Some starlings still manage to squeeze in the Martins houses, even tho we have made round holes half round or less. Had one this morning that tried to get in & the Martins attacked him, one slammed right into the starling. We're in town, so not permitted to shoot guns in town, even a BB-gun (altho we do use a small BB gun out the window).
With the warmer temps & southerly winds more should arrive in the next few days.
Toy in PA
We bought the "Starling House, Sparrow Nest box trap (wooden house) from the PMCA's store. Mounted it on the side of our garage. We always get a few in it. I think we trapped 7 last year. Lay some seeds & nesting material on the ledge below the opening. Draws them in.
Some starlings still manage to squeeze in the Martins houses, even tho we have made round holes half round or less. Had one this morning that tried to get in & the Martins attacked him, one slammed right into the starling. We're in town, so not permitted to shoot guns in town, even a BB-gun (altho we do use a small BB gun out the window).
With the warmer temps & southerly winds more should arrive in the next few days.
Toy in PA
PMCA Member