At what point after fledging do the martins become communal...

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brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Just wondering at what point after the chicks fledge that the martins become communal birds again and share compartments? Or do they? Thoughts?
Brent
Brent
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

Brent, as far as Iv seen even after fledging and they have moved to roost the ASY males and females come back and defend their now empty nest. they are dedicated to that cavity and will defend it, although they have no immediate plans to use it. Nor do they stay over night after going to roost, they just don't like to have another martin eye balling their homes.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
brent
Posts: 1280
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Thanks Tom. Good to know. My martin chicks have all fledged. If you're not up early enough you'll miss them. They come back in mass in the evening. Soon it will be quiet. Not a bad season given all the draw backs. Once I do my last calculation I expect that over 70 fledged. That would be over 90% success. No late nesters this year.
Thanks again.
Brent
Brent
Conrad Baker
Posts: 756
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:43 pm
Location: Paulina, Louisiana

C.C.Martins wrote:
Tue Jun 22, 2021 6:24 am
Brent, as far as Iv seen even after fledging and they have moved to roost the ASY males and females come back and defend their now empty nest. they are dedicated to that cavity and will defend it, although they have no immediate plans to use it. Nor do they stay over night after going to roost, they just don't like to have another martin eye balling their homes.
That's interesting. And it explains why I have seen less and less activity at my Colony. Only 5 or 6 Martins yesterday evening, and I only saw three this morning when I went outside about 7am. I guess the end of the season is fast approaching. I took my houses down the second week of July last year, after about a week of not seeing any. That's only about 2 weeks from now.
Robert Anderson
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 9:22 am
Location: Mt. Pleasant, IA
Martin Colony History: 2018: 0 pair
2019: 0 pair
2020: 0 pair: 1 ASY male visitor
2021: 3 pair: 13 eggs

Conrad Baker wrote:
Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:39 am
C.C.Martins wrote:
Tue Jun 22, 2021 6:24 am
Brent, as far as Iv seen even after fledging and they have moved to roost the ASY males and females come back and defend their now empty nest. they are dedicated to that cavity and will defend it, although they have no immediate plans to use it. Nor do they stay over night after going to roost, they just don't like to have another martin eye balling their homes.
That's interesting. And it explains why I have seen less and less activity at my Colony. Only 5 or 6 Martins yesterday evening, and I only saw three this morning when I went outside about 7am. I guess the end of the season is fast approaching. I took my houses down the second week of July last year, after about a week of not seeing any. That's only about 2 weeks from now.
PMCA told me to leave housing up and open through end of migration. Sometimes martins from further north will stop at empty housing for an overnight stay before continuing on the next day.
2018: 0 pair
2019: 0 pair
2020: 0 pair: 1 ASY male visitor
2021: 3 pair: 13 eggs

16 S&K Bo 9 double stacked gourds; 8 PMCA Excluder Gourds; 2 Trio metal houses converted from 12 units down to 6.
Conrad Baker
Posts: 756
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:43 pm
Location: Paulina, Louisiana

Good idea, they should have a safe comfortable place to spend the night on their way South.
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