I checked Saturday afternoon and I still had 2 unfledged nestlings There were 12 martins hanging around even though none were roosting here overnight. I check Sunday evening...and they had fledged. No martins in sight for two days...it's over!!
I was blessed with 36 nesting pair in my third year. They laid a total of 173 eggs, 150 hatched and 148 fledged. I was very happy with my colony results this year. I have 105 cavities already in place but planning on adding 36 gourds for next year....
Season comes to a close for my colony here in SW Missouri
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bwenger
- Posts: 1057
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:24 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania/Espyville/Pymatuning Reservoir Area
- Martin Colony History: Taking care of 11 active public colonies and trying to start two more in northwestern PA. Also attempting to restart another one in southwestern PA, in Collier Township's Hilltop Park. In 2017, not sure what happened but the ASY male returned and then a couple of weeks later he was gone. It could have been weather related. No other birds showed up. I had a starling nesting at the Public site that I had trouble getting rid of.
In 2018, we fledged 629 martins at all of the sites.
LRL,
Those are great stats for a third year colony! Congratulations.
You'll have a lot of birds returning next year, and your numbers will grow exponentially.
Your housing and land must be laid out great for martins to populate your site like that.
Good luck in 2009.
Bill
Those are great stats for a third year colony! Congratulations.
You'll have a lot of birds returning next year, and your numbers will grow exponentially.
Your housing and land must be laid out great for martins to populate your site like that.
Good luck in 2009.
Bill
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Bill & Kelley Shields
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:31 am
- Location: Pleasant Hope, MO
Hey!
Congrats on a really great year! My colony is about 24 miles due west of you and I'm also in my third year... Numbers improve every year and this year I even got my neighbor so excited he went out and put up a new house
I swear some of your birds are visiting me as my last young fledged a week ago and am still getting daily activity... Good luck next year and keep in touch with the forum!
Bill
Congrats on a really great year! My colony is about 24 miles due west of you and I'm also in my third year... Numbers improve every year and this year I even got my neighbor so excited he went out and put up a new house
I swear some of your birds are visiting me as my last young fledged a week ago and am still getting daily activity... Good luck next year and keep in touch with the forum!Bill
Is this fun or what?!!
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Guest
i'm in reynolds county and had birds 2 years in a row my 3rd year was a bust.
I had 2 males show up but never attracted mates the last bird i saw was on fathers day.
The males did a fly by and left for good.
I had 2 males show up but never attracted mates the last bird i saw was on fathers day.
The males did a fly by and left for good.
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Guest
I still believe the 10 days of below freezing temps we had here in april of 2007 may have killed off a lot of adult early arrivals.
I had 5 adults that dissapeared during the spell and finally wound up with 3 nesting pair's.
I believe the 2 males that came here this spring may have been from 2007.
As of now i only provided gourds for nesting.Next year i will raise a 6 room house just to see if it makes a difference.
I had 5 adults that dissapeared during the spell and finally wound up with 3 nesting pair's.
I believe the 2 males that came here this spring may have been from 2007.
As of now i only provided gourds for nesting.Next year i will raise a 6 room house just to see if it makes a difference.
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Guest
Nice to hear from so many fellow Missourians.
This was our first year, and we were teased into getting one of those living mosquito catchers.
Must have been divine oversight, because we fell for the friendly little transients even though the first true fact we debunked was the great mosquito myth. We attracted only the one ASY pair whom we believe were tornado displacees from nearby. We fledged four, and are looking forward to next year.
This was our first year, and we were teased into getting one of those living mosquito catchers.
Must have been divine oversight, because we fell for the friendly little transients even though the first true fact we debunked was the great mosquito myth. We attracted only the one ASY pair whom we believe were tornado displacees from nearby. We fledged four, and are looking forward to next year.Here in Shannon County Missouri, I have not seen any birds for two days. My last nest fledged August 1. The temps have been in the high 90's. Sunday and Monday around dusk we had about forty martins circling down by the barn. The dragonflies are thick here, so maybe some migrating martins were stopping to fill up. My numbers have improved this year and I plan to add new housing before spring.
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Bill & Kelley Shields
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:31 am
- Location: Pleasant Hope, MO
I've been wondering why I still have 30 or more birds hanging around as my last nest fledged about the 2nd. Or so I thought 
I was out in the yard messing around just now and I saw a bird on the ground and as I went to check it out I realized it was a nearly fledge martin that went running away from me screaming like a cat had its foot. I caught it and it seemed healthy with no mites or anything I could see... I put it back in the hole that it should have came from and am hoping for the best. I did have a severe runt on my last nest check for which I gave little hope but maybe he made it after all and the group is pressuring him to get a move on. He looks a couple of days away from flight. Wish him luck!
bill
I was out in the yard messing around just now and I saw a bird on the ground and as I went to check it out I realized it was a nearly fledge martin that went running away from me screaming like a cat had its foot. I caught it and it seemed healthy with no mites or anything I could see... I put it back in the hole that it should have came from and am hoping for the best. I did have a severe runt on my last nest check for which I gave little hope but maybe he made it after all and the group is pressuring him to get a move on. He looks a couple of days away from flight. Wish him luck!bill
Is this fun or what?!!
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Guest
Jack Sanders wrote:
"I still believe the 10 days of below freezing temps we had here in april of 2007 may have killed off a lot of adult early arrivals.
I had 5 adults that dissapeared during the spell and finally wound up with 3 nesting pair's.
I believe the 2 males that came here this spring may have been from 2007. "
Jack, we didn't experience that problem here in Webster county, ar least not I or any of the half dozen or so lanflords I've spoken wth here. I've gone fom 5 pair in 2006 to 10 pair in 2007 and this was a breakput year here. I would not be surprised to see 50-60 pair here next year. of course, you never know...
"I still believe the 10 days of below freezing temps we had here in april of 2007 may have killed off a lot of adult early arrivals.
I had 5 adults that dissapeared during the spell and finally wound up with 3 nesting pair's.
I believe the 2 males that came here this spring may have been from 2007. "
Jack, we didn't experience that problem here in Webster county, ar least not I or any of the half dozen or so lanflords I've spoken wth here. I've gone fom 5 pair in 2006 to 10 pair in 2007 and this was a breakput year here. I would not be surprised to see 50-60 pair here next year. of course, you never know...
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Guest
Bill, yeah, you're pretty close. I have a niece that lives between Tin Town and Pleasant Hope. This area has lots of martins. Stop by anytime....Bill & Kelley Shields wrote:Hey!
Congrats on a really great year! My colony is about 24 miles due west of you and I'm also in my third year... Numbers improve every year and this year I even got my neighbor so excited he went out and put up a new house
Bill
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Guest
Ours left on July 26th for the second year in a row. I still saw martins in the area until around August 2nd. We fledged just under 60 this year about half that we normally do. I will be adding a couple houses for next year with enlarged compartments and see how they compare. Only one snake this year compared to 5 last year. Permanent removal of around 30 sparrows during the season.