I have an oddball question
-
Guest
The last couple days I've seen a bird that's been perched both on top of my t-14 and on some of the bare branches of a nearby sunburst locust. Of course, I want every bird I see near the t-14 to be a martin but they never seem to be. This guy will just sit there (especially in the tree) until I look away, then fly off somewhere when I'm distracted, obviously just so I can't see what he looks like in flight. So, I see this thing and I'm hoping it's a martin, but the head kinda pointy and the breast is kinda motley, so I figure not. Then I see a picture of a first year fledged nestling and I'm thinking, "HUH!, maybe............???" So, the real question is, would they actually perch in a tree that much? Especially a tree that has very small leaves and lots of exposed branches?
-
John Miller
- Posts: 4863
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Sometimes martins, especially fledglings, gather on dead tree limbs, but usually in groups. Kinda the same with fledgling starlings.
I bet some bird, not a martin, with a nearby nest is using your house as a lookout post. Hopefully you'll get a closer look and ID.
John M
I bet some bird, not a martin, with a nearby nest is using your house as a lookout post. Hopefully you'll get a closer look and ID.
John M
-
Guest
Our yard is pretty small, with a live oak near the center and approximately 40' from our gourds (Naturline, crescent openings).
We observed adult martins sitting in the tree prior to egg-laying, etc. Aside from using the tree for temporary perching, the martins would take leaves from the tree to the gourds during nest-building, after egg-laying and after hatching.
Fledged young martins were seen in the tree as well, during feeding and also to take advantage of shade from the Texas sun. It was interesting to see/hear multiple young and their parents in different parts of the tree at the same time.
We observed adult martins sitting in the tree prior to egg-laying, etc. Aside from using the tree for temporary perching, the martins would take leaves from the tree to the gourds during nest-building, after egg-laying and after hatching.
Fledged young martins were seen in the tree as well, during feeding and also to take advantage of shade from the Texas sun. It was interesting to see/hear multiple young and their parents in different parts of the tree at the same time.