Hello all. I posted this on my facebook page for my friends who know I am a PM nut. My reference to cooking is I own my own business doing jam, jellies, and pickles etc...and traveling to seven states for festivals and craft shows on the weekends. Here is my post:
PURPLE MARTIN UPDATE - Yay!!!
I offer 43 compartments. I couldn't spend time with them the week before due to short cooking week and driving to CO on Thursday. Last Tuesday's nest check revealed:
34 nesting pair!
9 House Sparrow nests. A couple had srarted to build over the PM's nest. parentless.
That is my largest amount of pairs ever now in my 9th year. Plus it's early too. Subadults still arrive into June. They are last year's babies and will nest this year.
Last night...
Mark: You have a dead martin by the road at the drive.
Me: Oh...hit by a car probably.
Mark: Yeah he wasn't as fast as he thought he was.
LATER-
ME: I buried my martin.
Mark: You buried a bird?!
Me: Yeah, I didn't want it to lay there or for a cat to rip into it for them to see.
***So I lovingly buried my martin. Also wanted to ID it. It is a toss up between ASYF or SYM. I am rooting for SYM. Isn't that sad? When it comes down to it they are apparently the bottom in ranking. I didn't want to lose a female in case it has laid eggs. Plus SYM's cause chaos at times so if one has to go I guess that is what I was hoping for.
The bird didn't have telltale SYM signs such as purple blobs on its breast/tummy. But it did have distinct purple feathers under it's chin and neck underside. They were sporatic but still a gorgeous purple. When I look at the ID pics on this site, the female doesn't appear to have any purple feathers here. So that is why I am thinking SYM.
By the way I counted 92 PM eggs in my 34 nests so far. I am home today and tomorrow and will be nest checking and further HOSP hunting. I did trap 3 males and 1 female last week.
Deb
Nest check and ID'ing a dead PM
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DebA
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
- Location: Pratt County/Kansas
- Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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DebA
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
- Location: Pratt County/Kansas
- Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
Hahaha...the forum cleans up my cuss words. "Parentless" is not what I wrote. I called HOSP a name starting with a B. 
PMCA MEMBER
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
Pratt County, Kansas
2016 34 PAIR
2015 27 PAIR
2014 23 PAIR
2013 13 PAIR
2012 6 PAIR
2011 4 PAIR
2010 2 PAIR
2009 1 PAIR
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Archer
- Posts: 786
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:09 pm
- Location: Manitoba/Altona
- Martin Colony History: six pair in 2014, have grown to 52 pairs in 2017.
I've had an occasion where PMCA word police helped me out. Spelling has never been my greatest asset. Rapture and Raptor are not that far apart 
Sorry about your bird.
Sorry about your bird.2011- first year trying, a few visitors.
2012-One ASY pair, raised two young, lots of subby visitors. So thankfull.
2013-daily subby visits.
2014-Six SY pairs
2015-18 pair, 83 fledglings
2016-36 pair, 147 fledglings
2017-52 pairs, 192 fledglings.
2018-60 pair, 246 fledglings.
2019-59 pair, 238 fledglings.
2020-62 pair.
2021-65 pair.
2022-63 pair.
2023-60 pair
2024-62 pair
2012-One ASY pair, raised two young, lots of subby visitors. So thankfull.
2013-daily subby visits.
2014-Six SY pairs
2015-18 pair, 83 fledglings
2016-36 pair, 147 fledglings
2017-52 pairs, 192 fledglings.
2018-60 pair, 246 fledglings.
2019-59 pair, 238 fledglings.
2020-62 pair.
2021-65 pair.
2022-63 pair.
2023-60 pair
2024-62 pair
Sorry about your SYM Deb.
You're right though - in the grand scheme of things, if you're going to lose a Martin, losing an SY male is probably going to have the least negative effect on overall colony operations (possibly even beneficial for those dealing with nasty, rogue, baby killing SYMs).
And the house sparrows - they are definitely little parentless, excrement heads......
You're right though - in the grand scheme of things, if you're going to lose a Martin, losing an SY male is probably going to have the least negative effect on overall colony operations (possibly even beneficial for those dealing with nasty, rogue, baby killing SYMs).
And the house sparrows - they are definitely little parentless, excrement heads......
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DebA
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 7:43 am
- Location: Pratt County/Kansas
- Martin Colony History: Start 2009 with one pair. Upgraded from S&K houses to two Trendsetter 12's with gourds beneath in 2013. I have experienced job, pet, and parental losses since '13. The Purple Martins lift my spirits and remind me how life continues forward by flying their little selves from Brazil back to my yard. As one forum person once told me, chin up DebA, look at the martins. Danger all around but yet they soar in the sky without a care in the world.
Nice Matt! I can follow that! LOL
Yeah...sorry SYM. I love this time of year when I can sit inside in my chair and hear my colony happily doing its thing. Have a great weekend, Matt and Archer!
Yeah...sorry SYM. I love this time of year when I can sit inside in my chair and hear my colony happily doing its thing. Have a great weekend, Matt and Archer!