Heat Advisory Central TX

[Sharon - Central TX]

Texans be sure to keep an eye on the temperature. Heat advisory issued this afternoon and heat index could possibly be as high as 107 today and tomorrow.
All of our original nests have fledged but we, unfortunately, have renesters. Two nests with new babies and some still laying eggs as recent as yesterday! Apparently they didn't get the memo that it's too late to start a family in TX.

[C.C.Martins]

Thank you! its so hot. New nests and new eggs? wow, yeah those poor birds!

I cant wait to vent, vent and insulate next year! and if that's not enough, that tropical low may send torrential rain...

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Sharon,
Excellent advise. Tom and I were discussing this heat wave on another topic.
Shading is an option for either gourds that are not vented or a house which is not insulated & vented.
Landlords have to be careful if any of the gourds/compartments are ready to fledge.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Tom,
Your colony in Corpus Christi, TX is going to be fine. Your high temperature are only forecast to be 92-93 degrees F.

My sister in Seguin, TX has 2 K-Series 18 Gourd Racks and it is forecast to be 103 degrees F with 16 mph winds out of the south today. Her Troyer Horizontal Gourds are vented in the back with 1" PVC 90 degree elbow vents. Each THG is vented with 2 PVC vents. Currently, she has several late nests with babies feeding out of the entrances. Many babies are close to fledging so she cannot lower her K-Series gourd racks. She is not worried because she prepared for the heat wave with the vents. The babies appear healthy, well fed and none are jumping prematurely.

I know that some landlords will be scrambling to cope with the heat but modification of the gourds and houses during the off season will pay off for heat wave conditions.

[C.C.Martins]

Thanks sir, I get in the car and think wow! the birds are going through THIS? winds blowing good and theres vents, so your right. and you know, Iv got young guys peeping out too and none have jumped. Off season it is!

That San Antonio and Seguin area is brutal, beautiful but tough. That is alot of gourds! Looks like Martins really run in your family.
Thanks,
Tom

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Your landlord experience will improve vastly and be more enjoyable when you can get a house better than a Heath house. I am so glad that you have a colony started with the Heath house.
Your analogy to the heat inside a car due to greenhouse effect is poignant and applicable.

My sister says it is something to see 36 pair feeding their babies. Even more impressive is when visitors from nearby colonies come to help encourage and protect the fledglings. She describes 20-30 visitors assisting her own colony's martins. Seguin has a healthy purple martin population. I don't think it equals San Antonio's martin population. Unfortunately, San Antonio's purple martin population is declining due to decreased interest among new property owners. Scully has documented martin housing decline in the area around the school where he teaches and maintains a school martin colony.
Through the years, I have enjoyed Scully's reports.

[Sharon - Central TX]

The heat advisory continues today. Hubby made a shade cover on the pole with babies. Fortunately he had vented our gourds already. We are checking them daily. The parents are still feeding. Also had the opportunity to talk with a PM rehabber that took one of our babies last year in July after parents abandoned the nest due to the heat. Only one of four was still alive once we realized the parents had not returned for two days. We learned the necessity of keeping a close watch and daily nest checks during extreme heat. A couple of things to look for in dehydrated babies, hard bellies and the inability to poop (mushroom type cap on anus). It is a good idea to know of a rehabber or two to call BEFORE running into a problem. We are blessed to have made contact with a couple of them plus people who manage a site for TX Parks and Wildlife. Very willing to talk and help. We look forward to meeting them personally at one of the Austin roost parties starting next month, an awesome event with hundreds of thousands of martins gathering each evening at their pre-migratory roost. The parties take place each Friday and Saturday for four weekends starting in July. It seems the birds have been moving their location the last few years from the original one at Highland Mall in Austin. If anyone is interested in going this year here is the website:
http://travisaudubon.org/purple-martin-parties

[Sharon - Central TX]

Website for Purple Marin party 2017 Information:

http://travisaudubon.org/purple-martin-parties

[Sharon - Central TX]

Removed post.

[Sharon - Central TX]

Sorry tried to delete second post but unable to

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Sharon,
Thank you for this topic. It is so important all across the country for people to be aware of the dangers of heat.

This is a timeless topic. My father was frustrated with premature fledgling in the late 1950s. He was one of the first to use Sevin dust to treat mites. He saw a significant increase in fledge rate due to elimination of the mites. In spite of nest parasite control, there were jumpers in subsequent years. He was using a wood house which was designed and built by a man in Omaha, NE. It looked like a large North Star house. The compartments were larger than the standard 6" x 6" that were common at that time but the house had inadequate ventilation for south Texas summer heat. There was also a severe drought in south Texas at that time. He realizes in retrospect that the babies were jumping in desperation of the heat in the poorly ventilated compartments.

My sister went to the Austin pre-migratory roost last year and was amazed. She says it was an experience of a lifetime.

[Sharon - Central TX]

Mark,
The year we had the terrible drought we also had birds that tried to fledge early. It was very frustrating to put them back in the gourd only to find them on the ground again soon after. Yes, extreme heat and parasites can cause early fledging.
Sevin has been a debated topic on the forum but we always start the new year with clean disinfected gourds filled with fresh bedding and Sevin dust mixed in with it. We have had very few mites and usually it's later in the season if we do. We also normally have a good fledge rate, except for disappearing eggs this year that we attributed to some SY males who did not have a mate. It stopped once they found a girlfriend and thus the reason for several late nests. Oh well at least we know they like our site.
We learn new things every year. I say that every year too Been landlords for 14 years now with a bad start our first year when a rat snake got past the baffle and ate all six of the twelve day old babies and the mother. The only nest we had.
Being a PM landlord can be sad and frustrating at times but the good things far outnumber the bad. When our birds return each year I feel in awe and so blessed that they continue to choose our site to make their home and raise their young.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Sharon,
I can vouch for the controversy about pesticides. I gave my email address to someone who wanted to discuss a problem with their colony.
I quickly found that they just wanted to tell me how really mad they were at me for suggesting ANY use of ANY man made chemicals at ANY time. The person had read a brief summary of "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson first published September 27, 1962 by Houghton Mifflin. As adamant as the person was, I was surprised that they had never read the book.
I want to respect people's opinions but when it became malicious I had to block the person's emails. I am sorry but I have to use antiperspirant.

[C.C.Martins]

Heat index today 108-110 tomorrow 108-113; no rain almost no wind. Iv got to cover the house with something, if I put an umbrella up to provide shade will that work? will the martins be ok with it? they are going to cook.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Tom,
Plastic corrugated board called "Coroplast" or more commonly political campaign or real estate sign board.
Easy to find, easy to cut.

http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic ... =coroplast

[C.C.Martins]

ok, thanks for the fast response! heading to HD. I appreciate it.

[Louise Chambers]

Putting up something to shade the house is a big help - others have used umbrellas or thin light pieces of foam board or signboard. The trick is to secure it so it won't flap or tilt so it blocks entrances. Whatever you use needs to be opaque as possible. We paint signboard because otherwise it's translucent.

You can also take steps to increase ventilation - one landlord opened all doors and secured them that way during a heat wave. Some put ice packs into adjacent rooms, some use misters (though in areas with high humidity, that could make the birds more uncomfortable). If your location is breezy that can help a lot, moving air helps the martins cool off - they pant like dogs for cooling.

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

I agree with Louise. If the Coroplast (fluted polypropylene sheet) is painted with a white paint compatible with plastic, then it is more opaque and UV resistant.
You can make the covers quickly and easily. It is available at all of the home improvement stores (Lowe's/HD), craft stores (Hobby Lobby/Michael's).

[C.C.Martins]

thanks all that was the ticket,
I bought a .5 inch foam board with aluminum reflector, cut it into strips and secured it (with the rain and wind in mind); all with that metallic silver tape. should be good now! made openings at the top for heat to vent; that with those 1 inch elbow pipes should be ok. checked for dead chicks, so far so good. No jumpers-plugged their hole. looks like they are settling in again.
I have an understanding boss and some very good martin loving friends!
Louise, tried calling you-please ignore the missed call...just a panicked landlord.
Tom

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Tom,
We need pictures to see what you did. You will be surprised how your fix will help someone else in the future. A link to your pictures will help that future person save their babies.
The 1/2" foam board with reflective surface will help in many ways. How did you attach it? Hopefully your pictures will answer many questions.