My first martin of 2017 arrived April 3rd. My last martin just left on September 11th; a long season of 162 days here with martins. In 2016, my last martin was seen on August 5th.
24 pair laid 136 eggs. I again had 100% occupancy. They hatched 133(98%) and fledged 118(89%). Egg to fledge ratio was lower this year at 87%. One ASY pair had two successful clutches. Their first 3 young fledged on July 5th and the second 3 fledged on August 27th. This pair produced 9 eggs, hatched 7 and fledged 6. After a rash of dead nestlings at about 5 days of age 7 days, next year I will initiate nest replacements at day 5 next year in addition to replacements at days 10 and 20. I have no explanation for the early deaths other than rain, but I consider them preventable. We will see.
I had as many as 10 martins here as late as September 4th. There have also been visiting martins when no resident martins are present, just the gourd racks. For those landlords still waiting for their first martins, we advise leaving empty houses up for migrating martins at hopeful sites. This is verification that martins are still here in Central Wisconsin later than I was aware, if they have a reason to show themselves. In the past, I would have had everything down and stored by now so they would have passed me by.
All in all, this was a successful season although a late second nesting does cause some anxiety.
Good luck in 2018.
Ed
Longest season ends with good results in Wisconsin
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Ed Svetich-WI
- Posts: 815
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: Brooks, Wi (McGinnis Lake)
- Martin Colony History: 24 Super and Excluder Gourds on two gourd racks, all SREH. Full occupancy. My philosophy is to maximize fledge % with existing cavities rather than adding gourds to grow colony, thus providing opportunities for new colony expansion. Fledge over 100 nestlings yearly from 24 gourds. Band nestlings in cooperation with state university. 2019 Adendum: Reduced colony size to 12 gourds to focus on more intensive management regimen.
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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.
Hi Ed,
Super season for you. I have had migrators pass by and check out my housing here in central Iowa. It is always a good idea to keep them open for migration as you do at your location. Your success fledge percentage was good. You have always been a good recorder of your colony.
Super season for you. I have had migrators pass by and check out my housing here in central Iowa. It is always a good idea to keep them open for migration as you do at your location. Your success fledge percentage was good. You have always been a good recorder of your colony.
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Whippy
- Posts: 1023
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:15 pm
- Location: Plano, Texas
- Martin Colony History: See Signature
Thanks for the report.I am n North Texas in the Dallas area and haven't seen a Martin all month. I am keeping my gourds up for any possible migrants but not sure if this is a route they will take South but always hopeful and on the lookout. Since I work long hours I'm not around to see if any come through during the day. I wonder if any other North Texas have seen any Martins pass through lately.
Coolwhips.
Coolwhips.
2016 - many visitors
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
2021 - 29 pair, 117 fledged
2022 - 35 pair, 130 fledged
2023 - 43 pair, 196 fledged
2017 - 1 pair, 3 fledged
2018- 2 pair, 12 fledged
2019 - 4 pair, 21 fledged
2020 - 15 pair, 67 fledged
2021 - 29 pair, 117 fledged
2022 - 35 pair, 130 fledged
2023 - 43 pair, 196 fledged
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cnevett27
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2014 10:40 am
- Location: Washington, MO
- Martin Colony History: Hosting martins for about 5-6 years, keeping records back to 2014. Using all gourds-horizonal Troyers and Excluders
2018 33 pair, 140 fledged
2017-25 pair, 106 fledged
2016 25 pair, 87 fledged
2015 24 pair, 70 fledged
2014 21 pair, 43 fledged
I still have one more rack up here in Washington Mo. Haven't seen any martins for quite awhile. I guess migration is still taking place. Thanks for the input. I'll wait alittle longer.
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Ed Svetich-WI
- Posts: 815
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: Brooks, Wi (McGinnis Lake)
- Martin Colony History: 24 Super and Excluder Gourds on two gourd racks, all SREH. Full occupancy. My philosophy is to maximize fledge % with existing cavities rather than adding gourds to grow colony, thus providing opportunities for new colony expansion. Fledge over 100 nestlings yearly from 24 gourds. Band nestlings in cooperation with state university. 2019 Adendum: Reduced colony size to 12 gourds to focus on more intensive management regimen.
If you have either Dawn Song or Daytime Chatter, play them. If there are any martins near, they will visit. It may just be a flyby but, what do you have to lose?
Good luck.
Ed
Good luck.
Ed
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randyM
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2015 2:30 pm
- Location: Long Lake SD
- Martin Colony History: * 2016 - 1 pair (ASYM + SYF) 2/3 eggs hatched 2 young fledged.
* 2017 - 4 pairs, 16/17 eggs hatched, 16 fledged, 16 banded - 2 banded SY returned in 2018 (12.5%)
* 2018 - 10 pairs, 46/52 eggs hatched, 45 fledged, 29 young banded - 3 banded SY returned in 2019 (10.3%)
*2019 - 32 pairs, 145/160 eggs hatched, 139 fledged - 87 young banded - 12 banded SY returned in 2020 (13.8%).
* 2020 - 35 pairs, 180/199 eggs hatched, 178 fledged - 150 young banded & 42 SY returned (28.0%)
* 2021 - 89 pairs, 363/446 eggs hatched, 355 fledged - 150 young banded & 19 SY returned (12.7%)
*2022 - 116 pairs, 495/579 eggs hatched, 471 fledged - 150 young banded & 27 SY returned (18.0%)
*2023 - 160 pairs, 708/828 eggs hatched, 572 fledged - 150 young banded & 38 SY returned (25.3%)
*2024 - 235 pairs, 950/1153 eggs hatched, 865 fledged - 100 young banded & 18 SY returned (18.0%)
*2025 - 200 pairs, 795/953 eggs hatched, 739 fledged - 200 young banded
Congratulations on another successful season, Ed! You are correct in that keeping housing and decoys up and playing the martin chatter CD at least through late Sept. in the northland (perhaps even later down south) will entice migrating martins to stop by for a visit and perhaps come back again in the spring. In northern South Dakota my last pair fledged their young on August 2nd and brought them back for the night until about August 15th. I had no birds visit my housing after that until I started to play the daytime chatter CD on August 20th. I had birds visit almost daily...mostly young-of-the-year, but a few SY birds as well. I know none of the young were from my colony, as I had all 16 of my young banded this year. I also have no known colonies within 20 miles of mine (I live in very rural SD), so the birds that visited my site were true migrants. Recently I had 8 visitors on Sept. 5th and 1 on the 6th. I've been gone for the past week, so not sure if any more stopped by since the 6th. I also had visitors stop by my colony through September 10th during the previous two years.
I have often wondered if playing the daytime chatter CD and placing martin decoys in a colony late in the nesting season would prevent some of the very late nesters from abandoning their young when the rest of the residents of the colony leave for pre-migratory roosts. I did not try it this year as there were still 7 other martins that stayed at my colony until my last nest fledged. Has anyone tried this before with any luck?
I have often wondered if playing the daytime chatter CD and placing martin decoys in a colony late in the nesting season would prevent some of the very late nesters from abandoning their young when the rest of the residents of the colony leave for pre-migratory roosts. I did not try it this year as there were still 7 other martins that stayed at my colony until my last nest fledged. Has anyone tried this before with any luck?