Cooper's Hawks arrive in San Antonio

[Scully]

I must apologize for not having posted on this forum for some years. Thirty-two years at my high school, an active martin colony for 25 (??) of those years. After a few years the colony topped out at around 40 gourds. Major construction/renovation all over campus this summer necessitated relocating what had been spread out between three separate gourd poles to only two, and those two more closely spaced than I would have preferred.

Here it is at present, thirty-nine gourds (not including a sparrow trap gourd). Thirty-three active nests. Our martins have endured similar close construction disturbance in the past tho of course in this exceptionally tough year it prob'ly isn't helping any.



Around here martin nesting success is heavily dependent upon rainfall. IIRC in the dry year of 2002 we had our worst nesting success ever, on average less than two young fledged per nest. In terms of temperature and drought this is the worst year I have ever seen, worse than 2002, unrelenting heat into the triple digits since April, almost no rainfall. This year I got cut off from observation early but we had only one successful young fledge of a brood of three, the largest fledged brood I have observed locally was just two, and I was happy to see that many.

Thirty-three active nests, one hundred thirty six nestlings all due to fledge this month. Of course this year most will not make it, numerous fallouts were expected and such is presently occurring.

Given the spread of Cooper's hawks into urban areas I had long been expecting them to show up. There is an abundant prey base here in the form of two million whitewing doves nesting all over San Antonio. We had a juvenile female Cooper's repeatedly returning to our colony until April, not an unusual occurrence, didn't observe any martin kills, the hawk apparently moved on.

Tuesday of this past week when I checked the colony around sunset, normal activity, martins coming and going doing the best they could to feed their young. A few tragic fallouts on the ground behind the fence, 20+ day old nestlings that didn't make enough weight to fly. As expected, a bad year on a 2002 scale or worse.

Wednesday evening an agitated swirl of 70+ martins overhead, an adult male Cooper's hawk flew off from a nearby tree carrying a large fallout nestling.

Thursday evening after the construction crews left the same agitated swirl of martins, same adult Cooper's with another fallout nestling, flies off, returns twenty minutes later to a tree just thirty feet from me, martins still agitated, picks up another fallout, flies off with it. Probably feeding young.

I really haven't had the heart to watch this happen again since then.

It's well documented that a pair of Cooper's hawks can wipe out a martin colony, even a big colony, and even in a good year.

Going forward, I believe the only possible strategy is to radically downsize the colony and spread it out as much as we can in the most open areas we can.

I'm pretty sure the arrival of breeding Cooper's hawks here is going to be a game-changer for martineering in San Antonio

[Martintown33]

So very sorry to hear this scully.. very tragic for you, I’m sure. I had a pair of Cooper’s hawks, hunting my colony at the beginning of this season , here in southeast Louisiana.. agree, that the coopers hawks are becoming a huge problem in suburban areas. I shot bottle rockets at this pair of coopers hawks every time I saw them.. I harassed them for 6 weeks, til they finally moved on.. it’s a very tough situation. The only solution I can offer, is to harass the heck out of them. Especially if you know where they’re nesting.,… make life miserable for them! I know many on here use decoys to attract the hawks to attack that, giving the martins a chance to get away.. but that wouldn’t help your situation, where the hawks are going after fallout fledglings. Harass them any and every way you can.. try to make life so miserable for them, that they move on..
Best of luck.., very sorry that you’re going through this..
Rob

[Martintown33]

P.S. scully.. I know it’s illegal to kill hawks, but it’s not illegal to scare the heck out of them. If you know where they’re nesting, I would shoot bottle rockets right at that nest. As I said, you just need to make their life so miserable, any way you can, that they choose to leave.
And… Very sorry about the terrible weather conditions. Too much rain,,or not enough rain. Both bad for martins..have you tried supplemental feeding? Lots of landlords on here, have much experience doing that. I’m sure they could advise you. I’m sure that would be fun for your students, to flip your martins some crickets..
Again, good luck to you..
Rob

[C.C.Martins]

Scully,
Terribly sorry to hear all this, I agree...hard to watch and endure. The heavy equipment can be tolerated by the martins, there's pictures of a thriving colony in an industrial setting. I wouldn't like it, but martins will adjust.
The weather on the other hand is a real problem and probably why they are jumping, food is nil. We are just south of you in Corpus 110-114 degrees last two days, one big rain event a few months ago, but food is hard to find for them. Worse in inland areas. Gone through a bit over 6k crickets, super worms, grasshoppers and June bugs but probably not enough.
They have been going through brood reduction, most nests have 3 to 4 some 5 and three nests out of 33 cavities-6.
Chicks are crowding the front now and I'm just waiting for jumpers, going to happen.
I feel that perhaps when your chicks that make it do fledge it could go either way....the hawk could be more active or it could lessen...they are after the weak ones sounds like. I wonder if the heavy equipment activity is somewhat of a distraction for the hawk, I hope so.

Maybe here's an idea: ask and see if they will allow you to zip tie some long stakes or cane to the construction fencing put some long bright ribbon on the end so they blow with the wind, move them around now and again?

I take it you will be able to relocate your gourd racks to dispurse them once the construction is complete so they aren't so bunched up?

Yes I agree the dove population is on par with the starlings, and a dove is so much easier for a hawk. Theres no end of food for hawks.
Ok, perhaps you could frequent the gourd racks look for jumpers, collect them feed them a bit and put them back?
Its tough, very hard time. I'm past the point of wishing for a tropical storm, bring it.
Sorry your going through all this.
Tom

[Kegger]

Scully,
Sorry to hear about the issues in the San Antonio area. All of this would get to me too. I spent a few months reviewing posts on this forum
to get some pointers from individuals like yourself before building a colony. The Pa. Dutch gourds always impressed me and I wondered
what they were for. Glad you decided to post yesterday, MikeP former CASH graduate

[Martintown33]

Tom, very sorry you’re going through harsh weather conditions too.. man, that’s got to be rough.. wishing the best for all of y’all in Texas..
Good luck,
Rob

[C.C.Martins]

Its a time supplemental food, venting, shade, and all the tricks come into play Rob. Afraid this is the future, don't know. The martins adjust with smaller broods, trick is to get those smaller broods through it.

I'm actually feeling bad for my sparrow captives, (I admit it). They have shade and cover but think I'll end that captivity...turtle food. They have not been attracting sparrows for about a week.
Tom

[Martintown33]

Tom, you’re doing all that you can. You will get as many through it as you can , I’m sure. Maybe it’s time to graduate to platter feeding. That would at least make things a little easier for you… especially if you think , this will become a normal thing.. as far as the sparrows… I’m sure the turtles will thank you!
Best of luck… hope you get some rain soon!
Rob

[Martintown33]

P.S. Tom, I wanted to thank you for the pvc elbow vent tip last season. In the off-season, I vented my gourds, with 2 elbow vents each. One in the access cap, and one directly across on the other side of the gourd. The houses, I put 2 vents for each compartment. One for the front room, and one in the back nesting room. And 2 vents in the roof..I know this had to help with ventilation and keeping the chicks more comfortable in the heat.. This is the first year out of 22 years, that I haven’t had any jumpers, and it’s been hot. Not as hot as y’all in Texas, but hot and humid. I attribute the zero jumpers, to the vents and appropriate use of sevin…
Best of luck and I hope you get as many chicks through as possible. I know you will try your best.
Rob

[C.C.Martins]

Delete duplicate

[C.C.Martins]

Rob your welcome! Of course!!!

First jumper at the oso wetlands, he was on the snake netting. Picked him up and returned to the right nest. Hit or miss on the chicks, some fat and healthy one solo chick is real fat but felt some pronounced keel bones in others.

Yes, platform is the way to go and your right. Mr Barrow told me three or 4 times, gave me the arms for it everything is ready just cannot convince my wife. Its nice to flip but can't sustain them.

Tom

[Martintown33]

Tom, Gotta convince the boss!
Rob