Central Arkansas Update

[Kent Justus]

I wanted to provide an update on my 17 year-old colony in Mt. Vernon, Arkansas. This has been a great year for martins so far. We didn't have any late snow or ice, we didn't have a huge tornado come within a couple of miles of my house (!), and we have received plenty of rainfall so far this year. I have four gourd racks, an old "Chuck Abare" rack with 36 gourds, two CUE Gemini racks with 36 and 37 Troyer gourds, respectively (overloaded, I know, but so far no issues with storms), and one CUE Gemini type with only one level with 16 Troyer vertical gourds. I have 125 gourds this year, the most I've ever had up. Most of my birds are ASY, including some very old females that are so dark they almost look black in certain light.

I saw a case of infanticide this week when a subadult male entered a gourd of newly hatched young (5) and left and tossed one to the ground from about 30 feet up. I found it, but it was already dead. I lowered the rack and saw that only one tiny young remained, which would surely have been doomed, so I took it and added it to a nest of only 3 newly hatched from an ASY pair. That pair had lost 3 eggs to persistent house sparrows, so they were equipped to handle a 4th nestling. It survived and is thriving in its new nest.

I have owl guards on all of my racks, but a Great Horned Owl has attempted at least twice that I know of to attack my old Chuck Abare rack. The cage extends slightly further away from the bottom level of gourd porches than I would like, and leaves some room for the owl to swoop up under the rack and grab the gourd porch. This week I saw a Troyer vertical gourd one morning that had obviously been moved as the entrance hole was facing the wrong direction. I lowered the rack and found 3 busted eggs and one in tact. I tossed the eggs hoping for the female to lay another clutch. However, the female was gone. The male continued to roost in the gourd with no female for three days. I thought she had been caught by the owl. However, after four days the female returned. I could tell it was the same female since all gourds on that rack are occupied and the pairs recognized her with no fighting. Her left leg was injured and she was having some trouble balancing on the porch while preening. However, it was not broken as I saw her fly from the gourd twice with the leg neatly tucked underneath. I think she will make a full recovery. She has roosted the last two nights with the male and when I looked at the nest today it appeared they are tidying it up for another clutch. I am going to put cross wires along the bottom section of that owl guard from edge to edge and close it tighter to prevent the owl from grabbing the gourds from the bottom. Also, the four cross wires will also provide a baffle and the owl would hit the wire with its wings before it could even make contact with the gourd porches. I will take some photos after that is up and show you guys what I'm talking about.

I have one nest that will fledge in about two weeks, and most others are recently hatched, some ASY pairs still sitting on eggs, and some subadults just starting to lay or pair up in vacant gourds. I estimate that I have over 100 pairs at this point, but will get a final count in about two weeks after it is obvious that there are either nestlings or eggs in nests.

Darryl Holden and I visited the huge Rainsville, Alabama colony of Mr. Jerral Johnson again early this week. It is truly a site to behold. He said he has approximately 2,200 gourds hanging. Most are Natureline or natural. Everyone should travel there to see the colony when possible. He loves visitors. Wishing everyone a tremendous rest of the martin season. - Kent Justus / Mt. Vernon, Arkansas

[Larry A Kronemeyer]

Just read your update. Thanks, I really enjoyed it. Good to know things are doing well in your neck of the woods. Sounds like your approaching the halfway point. Congratulations.
Judy