Purple Martin Update 2…February 22, 2008

[Steve Kroenke]

Purple Martin Update 2…February 22, 2008

Purple martins continue to trickle in to our two colonies and as of February 22, 2008 I may have between 50 and 60 martins and Bob probably has 20+. Males still outnumber females but the ratio is not that large. More and more males are becoming paired.

Martins have readily accepted my new Troyer Horizontals with tunnels/porches though I am not seeing any preference trends this early in the season among any of my housing. However, there are more martins in the various gourds than in the multi-compartment houses.

I have been watching my various housing types to see how the martin return rate is going so far. For example, in my 36 Gourd Super System, 35 pairs of martins nested last season. Currently, about five paired males have returned to this rack. My 12 room Goliad had 11 pairs of martins in 2007 and two paired males are in residence right now. My 12 room modified Trio castle which was 100% occupied in 2007 by all SY pairs has one ASY male in attendance. My two 12 room Trendsetter houses had 19 pairs of martins last season: three ASYs and 16 SYs. None has returned as of yet to these houses. One of my AAA-16 gourd racks which was full in 2007 has three ASY pairs, all in Troyer Horizontals with cling plates. Other houses and gourd racks may have several pairs of martins in residence and some are still empty.

The weather over the last few days has been dreary and wet at times, but the martins are still able to feed later in the afternoon. Our area has many open cow pastures, cows, and small ponds which seem to support a large flying insect population even during inclement weather. Often the martins remain inside their cavities and take short flights to “poop” and feed. Other martins stay around the colonies.

We have seen some martins at our various satellite colonies with the one in downtown Shreveport at Lowes being most populated. Unfortunately, Cooper’s hawks are possibly terrorizing this completely open site in the heart of Shreveport. A few days ago we watch a large female Cooper’s hawk attack and pursue a female martin high up in the sky! The martin easily out flew the hawk in such a location but the hawk wanted that martin. The martins were scared and showing hawk fright behavior: rarely socializing and circling high above their housing. Cooper’s hawks are thriving and growing in population. They are now nesting in urban/suburban locations and expanding their nesting ranges throughout many parts of North America. Dr. Robert Rosenfeld, an expert on Cooper’s hawks, now considers them one of the most common raptors in several parts of the United States. He says they are thriving.

The last week in February and most of March are the major time frames for the return of ASY martins to northwest Louisiana. The first and second weeks of March usually have a huge number of martins pouring into our area. I will expect that our colonies will experience the return of several hundred martins during the next few weeks.

I hope everyone has a great purple martin season.

Steve

[Sam Fertitta]

Thanks Steve for that wonderful report

Sam

[Sam Fertitta]

Buy the way, I am up to 20 martins and a pair of Starlings. I plan to eliminate the rats this weekend. Keep up the good work!

Sam

[klcretired]

Steve,
Thanks for that report, it's a shame that someone locally couldn't take some action and help you guys out with your satellite colony, believe me if i still lived in S'port no one would have had to ask me I would have taken it upon myself to help out just as a common courtsey from one PM LandLord To another.

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

Hi Steve:

Thanks for the update. I am anxious to hear how your martins take to your Sunset Inn house. I plan on keeping mine closed till the SY's start coming in.

This weather is terrible. Only 43 today and overcast. Suppose to be warmer tomorrow.

Tim

[Steve Kroenke]

Hey Sam,

It sounds like your colony is doing well! I have shot two starlings so far in February, one at Bob's colony and one at mine. Both were males looking for territory. They checked in for a visit and didn't check out alive! I shot five starlings in 2007. Don't know what the starling numbers will be in 2008, but they don't survive long around here!

I hope you don't have the hawk problems like you had last season.

Steve

Hey Kenny,

We are trying to maintain our Lowes' colony because it has been so productive in the past. We left one multi-purpose pole and erected an old modified Trio castle in place of the other multi-purpose pole which was vandalized. However, if vandals strike again, then we will most likely dismantle that site. We still have other satellite colonies to monitor.

Yes, I know we could count on you if you lived over here to help out! It is really hard to oversee our two huge personal super martin colonies and also try to effectively monitor a bunch of satellite sites located 15 to 30 miles away. But for most part, the satellite colonies do well. Thanks for your words of encouragement.

Steve

Hey Tim,

Since the Sunset Inns are new, no martins have moved in. I was going to erect them for the SYs, but I just couldn't stand it and had to raise them! I do have several ASY males going in the Troyer Horizontals with tunnels/porches that are attached to the multi-purpose poles with the Sunset Inns.

Steve

[litedave]

Hi Steve,
I am seeing a BIG Hawk flying around above my neighborhood. He flys and then glides down in circles. The Martins stay clear of him and other smaller birds will chase after him. This is the first time seeing him and I believe that he is well fed. This guy is really large with a big wing span. My Martins are returning now and I would hate for this big boy to run them off.
David

[Steve Kroenke]

Hey David,

Hawks rarely drive martins away from their colonies though frequent hawk attacks can create a lot of fear and change the martin's behavior. The martins will stay away from their nests and return late in the evenings to roost.

A big hawk, such as a red-tail is also not a bird eater for the most part, and particularly would rarely predate swift birds like martins. Red-shouldered hawks are smaller than red-tails and they are common in your area, too. These hawks don't prey on birds that much either. Both these hawks have big broad wings, stocky bodies and short tails. These hawks are Buteos and they eat a lot of rodents, reptiles, ambibians and even insects.

The bird eaters are the Accipiters, the Cooper's and sharp-shinned. We have plenty of migrants in Louisiana and I see them as late as the first week in May still passing over and attacking our colonies. However, Cooper's hawks nest throughout Louisiana and we have several pairs in our immediate area. These hawks are major martin predators and will definitely attack vulnerable colonies and particularly hunt recent martin fledglings.

Accipiters are smaller hawks though a big female Cooper's is crow size. These hawks have long tails, short rounded looking wings, and slim bodies, indicating a bird hunter built for speed and maneuverability.

I wouldn't worry much about a big Buteo hunting or scaring your martins. It is those smaller "feathered cheetahs", the Accipiters that hunt the martins.

Steve

[Steve Kroenke]

Short Update February 23, 2008...

After several days of cold wet weather, it became sunny and warmer today and a large group of purple martins arrived at our two colonies today! It was exciting to watch new males arrive and dive down directly to their cavities from last season! More females are arriving, too! Battle royals have ensued between the new arrivals and the present residents which are trying to dominate numerous cavities. Bob and I have never seen so many martins this early in the season in northwest Louisiana. I believe we now have close to 100 martins in our colonies at this time and that number should continue to grow each day. I will start trying to get a better estimate by studying each of my gourd racks and houses for martin numbers.

Tomorrow, we hope to continue working on some of our satellite martin colonies. We have several multi-purpose poles and modified Trio M-12s to be placed.

Steve