Bad Storm = Bad Damage

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Kyler
Posts: 899
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:15 pm
Location: Colby, Kansas
Martin Colony History: PMCA Member - Project MartinWatch - Enlarged Compartments - SREH - S&S Control - Mite Control - Predator Guards - Heat Control ( Vents and Insulation ) - Supplemental Feeding -

Manage 7 different colonies in Colby Kansas.

Was not expecting this when I woke up this morning. One plus is all my martins have been gone for a couple weeks now. But it still doesn’t make it better. One house completely came down and every other pole is bent in some way. I guess I will be buying all brand new poles for next season!

Image

Kyler,
Purple Martin Landlords of Northwest KS
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC9HDLGlbCmSYcSExIySwUQA

2013 - 0 Pair -
2014 - 1 Pair -
2015 - 0 Pair -
2016 - 5 Pair -
2017 - 18 Pair -
2018 - 22 Pair -
2019 - 28 Pair -
2020 - 40 Pair -
2021 - 40 Pair -
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jpp77
Posts: 175
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:21 pm
Location: Lawrence, KS area
Martin Colony History: 2015 - 1 pair, not successful (Sparrows)
2016 - 1 pair, 4 young
2017 - 5 pair, 23 young
2018 - 8 pair, 40 young, two deaths most likely due to heat.
2019 - 18 pair, 74 eggs, 1 nest abandoned, all the rest successful.
2020 - 32 nests, unknown exact egg numbers, 1 death.

Damn. That's rough. Glad your birds where gone, but still.
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C.C.Martins
Posts: 3368
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
Location: Corpus Christi Tx
Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.

Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member

Glad they were gone! Thats a tough sight though Kyler. Looks like that square pole did ok? It never ends in this business.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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Dave Reynolds
Posts: 2445
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:35 pm
Location: Little Hocking, Oh.
Martin Colony History: Satellite Site “Oxbow Golf Course”..
2018 - 15 Pair, 36 Fledged
2019 - 26 Pair, 97 Fledged
2020 - 30 Pair, 137 Fledged
2021 - 30 Pair, 144 Fledged
2022 - 27 Pair, 125 Fledged
2023 - 31 Pair, 130 Fledged
2024 - 41 Pair, 198 Fledged
2025 - 44 Pair, 168 Fledged
2026 - 41 Pair, 182 Fledged

Home Site "Little Hocking, Ohio".
2019 - 1 Pair, 5 Fledged
2020 - 1 Pair, 4 Fledged
2021 - 8 Pair, 36 Fledged
2022 - 13 Pair, 46 Fledged
2023 - 16 Pair, 84 Fledged
2024 - 22 Pair, 104 Fledged
2025 - 28 Pair, 83 Fledged
2026 - 28 Pair. 116 Fledged

... Kyler. ... Sure hate to see that... That was a lot of work to get your colony started... So glad they were gone for the year.. Good luck on your repairs...

Dave
PMCA Member
Little Hocking, Ohio
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flyin-lowe
Posts: 3795
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

I hate to see that. I am sometimes amazed at some of those house/pole set ups in my area that appear to be pretty old and still standing straight. They are obviously neglected but even though the houses are light the poles seem pretty small.
2026 HOSP 29
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
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daveh
Posts: 761
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:40 am
Location: Kingsville Mo.

Kyler, sorry to hear and see this. I've been thru bent trio poles in the past several times. I eventually bought new poles for my castle and minicastle and placed pipe or conduit inside them. They became pretty heavy duty. I did that six or seven years ago and haven't had any problems. But I still try to lower my houses before storms if possible. This year I lowered all seven houses and gourds 3-5 feet for the entire season. It seem like we were getting storms every day so I left them down. I don't think the birds noticed that much. They were happy. Hope you get it all put back together the way you want it. Those poles are not cheap. Good luck.

Dave
PMCA member
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Kuemic
Posts: 176
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:17 pm
Location: Topeka, KS
Martin Colony History: 2015 1 pair, 2 eggs destroyed by HOSP
2016 1 pair, 2 fledged, HOSP 46
2017 1 pair, 5 fledged, HOSP 14
2018 daily visitors, HOSP 12
2019 1 pair, 2 fledged, HOSP 14
2020 1pair, 5 fledged, HOSP 17
2021 2 pair, 7 fledged, HOSP 21
2022 3 pair, 12 fledged, HOSP 18
2023 8 pair, 35 fledged, HOSP 16
2024 13 pair, 55 fledged, HOSP 11

So sorry Kyler! Bad week for Kansas storms. How did you all fare on Tuesday evening? We were in the RV on our annual Colorado trip and had to shelter in place at the Oakley truck stop to ride out 70mph winds, that had just passed through Colby area.

Know you just moved your houses too. Good luck with repairs and new equipment, keep everyone updated on your progress, we’re all impressed with your dedication!
Michelle in Topeka
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