Have 15 pairs of purples. One gourd has fledged, 6 gourds scheduled to fledge this weekend, and 8 gourds scheduled to fledge next weekend. No nest checks last weekend due to the scheduled fledgings. Wednesday night the purple martin social hour was normal.
The Thursday dusk get together was abnormal. Martin numbers were down significantly. No jumpers or signs of any violence around the gourds. Thought the number reduction may be due to the high heat index we have been experiencing. Really expected evening activity to return to normal Friday night but it did not. Still no visible signs of attack on the gourds.
IMO, I have to lower the rack today to see what happened. 3 of the 6 scheduled to fledge this weekend have fledged. I dread today because I know something bad has happened. This is my fourth year and was the most successful. Had some mite problems last year and an occassional hawk visit but that is it. Live in a subdivision and have never had snakes, racoons, etc.
I will plug the holes of the 3 older sets of martins before lowering the rack all the way down.
Does anyone know why I shouldn't do a nest check today? Is it the right move to risk some jumpers to check the other 8 gourds? If not, why? Just looking for advice. Will check back this afternoon before I lower the rack. Thank you for any responses.
Dreaded day and need advice.
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Guest
In situations like that, I use a very tall stepladder. I sincerely doubt you would create too much of a disturbance by using a stepladder. If you don't have a tall stepladder and your only way to perform a check is to lower the housing, then you have to do what you have to do.
I personally wouldn't be worried if you don't see any signs on the ground of an attack, etc.. I think at this point, you are so close to fledging time, I would not lower the house. If it is a hawk, you lowering the house isn't going to change anything. You can not undo what has happened if anything happened to begin with.
If you do decide to lower the house, just ease it down slowly with no jerking motion. This is why I like a rope and pulley system over a crank style system. With a rope and pulley, you can easy the house down being real quiet.
I personally wouldn't be worried if you don't see any signs on the ground of an attack, etc.. I think at this point, you are so close to fledging time, I would not lower the house. If it is a hawk, you lowering the house isn't going to change anything. You can not undo what has happened if anything happened to begin with.
If you do decide to lower the house, just ease it down slowly with no jerking motion. This is why I like a rope and pulley system over a crank style system. With a rope and pulley, you can easy the house down being real quiet.
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Guest
I'd keep your hopes up that you have birds heading out to get ready to migrate...it's always sad when everything gets quieter and it does seem to happen all of a sudden...one day there are just a lot less at home and they don't come back at night. 
Good luck ...I'll keep a good thought for you. Keep us posted.
Deborah
Good luck ...I'll keep a good thought for you. Keep us posted.
Deborah
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Guest
The most likely scenario is as soon as they fledged, they headed for a communal roost. If the unfledged bird are okay, then it seems unlikely that any harm came to the others...they just left. We wish they'd hang around after fledging to thank us, but sometimes they just vamoose.
It is greatly appreciated. Maybe they fledged. I hope my records were that far off. Hard to imagine any predator eating 50 birds in 2 nights but I now know it could have happened. Will not be caught sleeping again.
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Dale Hrncirik
elyas,
I would first watch for feeding activity in the morning. If no parents are seen flying to the housing with insects after ~15 minutes and if you see no young martins with the heads poking out of the entrances, then it should be okay to lower the housing. Hopefully they all fledged and are safe. Let us know.
Dale
I would first watch for feeding activity in the morning. If no parents are seen flying to the housing with insects after ~15 minutes and if you see no young martins with the heads poking out of the entrances, then it should be okay to lower the housing. Hopefully they all fledged and are safe. Let us know.
Dale
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Laverne
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
- Location: TX/Alvin
- Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
Hi elyas.
So, what happened? Did you lower the housing and take a peek? What did you find? Are the birds coming back this evening? They might - keep an eye out for them.
I'm like you - I can't see a predator taking 50 birds in two days. You're records could have been off. Were you counting on anywhere from 26 days to 32 days of age for fledging? Some of them are ready to take off sooner than others.
Please, Let us know what you found out.
So, what happened? Did you lower the housing and take a peek? What did you find? Are the birds coming back this evening? They might - keep an eye out for them.
I'm like you - I can't see a predator taking 50 birds in two days. You're records could have been off. Were you counting on anywhere from 26 days to 32 days of age for fledging? Some of them are ready to take off sooner than others.
Please, Let us know what you found out.
Sincerely,
Laverne
Laverne
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Guest
Hi elyas
Several years ago before I put bird netting above the predator guard, I came home from vacation and immediately could tell something was not right with my colony, It was close to fledging time for the ASY and the SY were either hatching or very close. Two Sy pair that were due to hatch had abondoned along with one ASY pair with young babies.
My problem was, like you, I didn't want to lower the rack to risk early jumping. I have a ten foot ladder, which is plenty high and stable enough for a PMCA 12 rack at full height and started looking in each vacant gourd. I was very careful to keep the noise and rack movement to a minimum.
In the third gourd, I found the answer, a 30 inch rat snake. It had a fledgling half digested and was sleeping the day away. There was a shedded skin in the same gourd, I figured it had been there for a few days. I think it was feeding at night and hanging out during the day, which means you would never know it was there if close attention is not paid to your colony.
I think you should carefully look in vacant gourds to insure this is not happening at your colony and by all means if you haven't already, put up bird netting per Steve K. in the archives.
Good luck
Eric
Several years ago before I put bird netting above the predator guard, I came home from vacation and immediately could tell something was not right with my colony, It was close to fledging time for the ASY and the SY were either hatching or very close. Two Sy pair that were due to hatch had abondoned along with one ASY pair with young babies.
My problem was, like you, I didn't want to lower the rack to risk early jumping. I have a ten foot ladder, which is plenty high and stable enough for a PMCA 12 rack at full height and started looking in each vacant gourd. I was very careful to keep the noise and rack movement to a minimum.
In the third gourd, I found the answer, a 30 inch rat snake. It had a fledgling half digested and was sleeping the day away. There was a shedded skin in the same gourd, I figured it had been there for a few days. I think it was feeding at night and hanging out during the day, which means you would never know it was there if close attention is not paid to your colony.
I think you should carefully look in vacant gourds to insure this is not happening at your colony and by all means if you haven't already, put up bird netting per Steve K. in the archives.
Good luck
Eric
No snake in any gourds. Three gourds still had birds close to fledging. The empty nests showed no signs of a struggle, no blood, feathers, etc. I'm hoping they fledged and left. They normally hang around a while after fledging. Nest checks are performed weekly here. The first thing observed every morning is the colony. The last thing observed at night is the colony.
Have learned a valuable lesson though. Even if nothing happened predator guards will be installed next year. Nest checks will be performed every 3-4 days instead of the weekly checks I do now. If eggs hatch the day after a nest check then my records could be off by 6 days. Just hoping the birds are off having a blast preparing for their trip.
Thank you for the responses. It is greatly appreciated.
Have learned a valuable lesson though. Even if nothing happened predator guards will be installed next year. Nest checks will be performed every 3-4 days instead of the weekly checks I do now. If eggs hatch the day after a nest check then my records could be off by 6 days. Just hoping the birds are off having a blast preparing for their trip.
Thank you for the responses. It is greatly appreciated.