New landlord observations

[flmike]

After 30 years with little success, I finally had a spring pair and they successfully raised six babies! Yay

I’m not sure when they first arrived, but they were here regularly most of April.

I discovered 5 eggs on May 5th and there were six a couple days later.
On May 24, I had six gelatinous babies in the nest.

On June 11 around 8am, I watched the first fledgling fly... rootin tootin good flying too! The parents flew off with #1, but they returned periodically as the others exited the nest. By noon all six had left the nest.

I didn’t see a bird for 8 days, then the parents returned to the box and hung around for about 5 days... there were visitors several times a day, the visitors lit on the house occasionally, but never lingered long.

In the last week, I’ve had a single Martin occasionally lite on the house briefly, but doesn’t enter and only stays for a few minutes.
The cove of the lake is full of Martins high in the air and work lower, close to the water, in the mornings and early evenings.

This morning, I could hear that many Martins were close by but couldn’t see them in the skies... Then I saw about thirty birds lift off from across the cove from the treetops.
They came and went from the treetops for several hours, but they seem to have vanished again.

[Rockchalk]

Nice work Mike. Sounds sorta similar to our martin experience. We have had a house up at our lake place for decades. Had some success getting them occasionally but it really has been a looooong time. few years ago I got serious about our site (tree issues) and rebuilt our house. Have had a single pair the two prior seasons and three this season. Keep up the good work and hopefully we'll both keep getting more each season.

[-=DKC=-]

Congratulations on a successful season! It's a good feeling isn't it. And then you can't wait for next year.

[Dave Duit]

A thirty year wait must be a record. Congrats. Maybe next year will be even better.

[Dave Reynolds]

Congrats on your success ... You are the definition of the word ... "PERSEVERANCE",,.......... Well done..

Dave

[flyin-lowe]

Congratulations. Is it possible something is off on your notes or the dates in your original post, or I could just be reading something wrong....
Eggs take about 16 days to hatch so if you observed the 6th egg around May 6th or 7th it would make sense that they hatched around the 24th, the time that you say you saw the babies. However after that they would not be flying on June 11th, the earliest they would fledge would be Around June 22nd or so, more likely around June 26-30th..... Something just doesn't add up quite correctly, did you take any pictures along the way???

[flmike]

I did take photos of the hatchlings (I don’t know what day they hatched) and again on fledge day. I also removed a blue bird nest with 5 eggs from the house on the opposite side... that was the same day I discovered the 5 Martin eggs, checked again two days later and there were 6 Martin eggs.
I didn’t think the dates added up either, but the photos are dated. I have tried to post the pictures, but although it shows a progress bar, the photos aren’t there.
The first day I saw a baby poke his snoot out of the door is the day they all fledged.

The tree tops across my cove are loaded with Martins, I’m seeing lots of juveniles (brownish) and loads of a2y males (solid purple). So while I don’t have any birds visiting the house, I have lots to enjoy.

[flyin-lowe]

Photos on this site have to be really sized down before they will post. I can't remember the exact size but you have to re size them quite a bit. I am not sure exactly what has happened but eggs that hatched the last week of May will not have fledged the second June 11th. It's possible you saw an SY martin coming from your site. They are known for removing babies from a nest and carrying them off. Try resizing your photos down to a small size and see if that works.

[flmike]

I’m not sure how my dates could be off... My wife and I have been obsessed with these buggers!

I don’t really know when the eggs were laid or hatched, maybe the photo will show someone in the know, the age of the hatchlings.







Picture of Blue bird nest I removed on May 7, same day I counted 5 eggs... maybe I mis-counted?
Picture of hatchlings May 24
Picture of the first sign of babies... I witnessed 3 of the six exit the hole and fly off. June 11

I have no doubt my “super babies” didn’t break all the known development rules. I’m baffled and I appreciate the input. Next year I’ll be more diligent in my documentation.

[flyin-lowe]

I can only see one picture. I can tell you from the picture I can see those are likely Tree swallows not purple martins. Which would also explain why you only have one pair. They do not nest in large groups like martins do. I could be wrong but based on the one picture I can see I am guessing that is what you have there. I still don't think that tree swallows fledge that fast, I house them every year but I don't pay that much attention to them. I just provide them housing to keep them out of my martin setups. The remainder of the pictures might tell a different story.... but I can't see them.

I also noticed in your signature that you said the trees were covered with martins. That is not a typical martin behavior this time of year. Later in the season you will see some roosts with martins in the trees but during the nesting season it is not typical to see tree covered with martins. You might be having some identification issues.

[JiminPa]

I agree with flyinlow; those white feathers are indicative of Tree Swallows. PM's will have green leaf petals usually. The date also favors Tree Swallows.

[flmike]

Wow!
Tree swallows... I’ll look them up. These have purple heads, white bellies and one had one spot of black on its chest.
In the trees, the birds I’m identifying as a2y males could be solid black, I’m not close enough to tell.

Here’s another clue. The birds in my box kicked the bluebirds butts daily. On three occasions my bird had a bluebird pinned to the ground! Is this Martin behavior?

[Kuemic]

I also removed a blue bird nest with 5 eggs from the house on the opposite side... that was the same day I discovered the 5 Martin eggs, checked again two days later and there were 6 Martin eggs.

Wishing you great success with purple martins but please, please do not tamper with bluebird nests.

They are truly beautiful native birds that actually chase house sparrows off our martin housing, but have never shown any aggression towards visiting martins. We do not allow them to nest in the purple martin housing. We have 2 bluebird boxes on our property and our one nesting pair has used both in one season. We do not have any nesting martins this year but are thankful for the bluebirds. They are working on brood number 3 for this season with 5 eggs due to hatch mid-July. Hopefully next season you can possibly provide alternate housing for other native birds to free up your martin housing.

[flyin-lowe]

The picture you posted of the birds in the house are tree swallows. Martins are about 50% larger and go not have the show white breast.

[flmike]

This is one of the parents, taken the day the babies fledged!

I’m wondering now, if after my Martins left, the tree swallows are what’s been coming and never really landing on the house just fluttering, like they’re taking a look to see if anyone’s home.

My wife and I agree that at some point the birds that returned after the babies fledged are different. Brown in color and half again larger than the original nesting pair.
I also think they fly a bit different, not as graceful... more flapping and darting.

[flmike]

I also removed a blue bird nest with 5 eggs from the house on the opposite side... that was the same day I discovered the 5 Martin eggs, checked again two days later and there were 6 Martin eggs.

[/quoteHopefully next season you can possibly provide alternate housing for other native birds to free up your martin housing.

I have two bluebird houses nearby, I’ve moved them several times through the years... even put one on a post. They continued to build in the Martin house and seem to harass the Martins/tree swallows! I thought maybe they were why we’ve been unsuccessful with developing a colony.
In years past the blue birds haven’t been successful in raising any birds in the Martin house.

[flyin-lowe]

When you say “after your martins left” are you talking about the ones that nested? If so those are not martins in the nest they are tree swallows.

[flmike]

When you say “after your martins left” are you talking about the ones that nested? If so those are not martins in the nest they are tree swallows.

I believe the nesting pair were Martins, by the way they flew, their early morning song and their appearance.
I think the tree swallows came later.
I still see a single Martin come by for a visit... it glides in and lites on the house and stays for a longer while than the larger (tree swallows?)
We have other swallows too; V tailed, smaller birds that nest under the dock and fly inches from the water.

My parents have had a large colony of Martins for 35+ years, I think my nesting pair were the same species.

I was fooled when mine left and the tree swallows started coming. The tree swallows are larger and have whiter breasts. I’ll try to find a local with Martin expertise next year to help me out with proper identification.

Thanks to everyone for the insights. I’m digging all the birds that cross my line of sight, it’s a new interest and one (with assistance) I hope to pursue more diligently.

[flmike]

After Re-reading flyin-Low’s posts, I see I missed the “white feathers in the nest” tell tale. So the nestlings were tree swallows.
Could the larger birds hanging out in the dead pine trees be Martins?

[flyin-lowe]

I'm guessing not. It is not uncommon to see a martin land in a tree to grab a leaf during nesting. It is also not uncommon to see them in large roost at the end of the season during migration. But if you have been seeing birds hanging out in trees over the summer then they are probably some other species. In my neck of the woods if we see a large "flock" of dark colored birds in a tree at the same time they are starlings.