I've noticed that the HOSP in my area seem to bother my PMs in waves during the summer. Has anyone else noticed this?
There seem to be three or four "waves" of HOSP interest in my PM housing. Each wave lasts perhaps three weeks. After that, I can go for quite some time without seeing a male HOSP nosing around.
I suspect that this is due to the HOSP breeding cycle. The "wave" of activity is when the male HOSP is seeking a mate, and the downtime is when the HOSP are busy with their own nests.
Am I correct in this, or totally off the mark?
Anyone notice HOSP coming in waves?
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Carlton
- Posts: 1959
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 6:42 pm
- Location: Florida/Deerfield Beach
- Martin Colony History: I moved to South Florida, from Delaware, in August of 2015.
I care for a 6 condo Sunset House as well as two Deluxe Gourd Racks, with 24 Chirpynest/Excluder gourds, along a canal in Pompano Beach, Florida.
At Quiet Waters Park, nearby in Deerfield Beach, I care for a Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 TVG's. I also care for a Deluxe Gourd rack with 12 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder entrances. I am substituting 6 Chirpynest boxes for 6 of the Conley II entranced gourds in 2026.
At another local park, Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, I care for a Trendsetter 12, 5 gourds rack with 60 Excluder gourds with Modified Excluder Entrances and 1 Deluxe Gourd Rack with 12 Troyer Vertical Gourds with Starling Stoppers over the Conley II's to keep out smaller starlings.
I totally agree that HS do come in "waves". They can be a real problem for days, with a number of them being trapped, and then they kind of disappear for awhile. I think too it is due to the breeding cycle.
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stan davison
- Posts: 715
- Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 7:48 pm
- Location: Tulsa Oklahoma
My wave is BIG. I have been getting 1-5 HOSP a day in two traps i use. Some days i can get as many as 10-12 in one day. This year has without a doubt been the worst. I do agree though once really thinned out you will get one or two hosp looking for nesting sites every week or so. I don't usually see many in JUN-JUL however there are several juvi HOSP and they are very easy to trap in the ST1 trap.
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Dick Wallace
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2003 9:52 pm
- Location: Nebraska/O'Neill
One thing I have always noticed about HOSP. They will always show up after a rain...in waves! The rain ruins their nests and they abandon them and they are opportunist seeking the easiest way to re-nest and guess what? We martin landlords become their refuge. Watch and see if this isn't true.
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~Ray~Gingerich
- Posts: 2122
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: Delaware/Dover
I had a small wave invade a few days ago, had to beat them back with my .20 guage.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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Guest
I have also noticed that they come in waves and associated it with breeding. Fortunately, the ones that have recently fledged seem to be easier to trap... I always seem to get a wave just after the PMs have either arrived. laid eggs or hatched.
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Guest
Shoot or trap until they quit coming. Next breeding cycle target practice starts again. A couple days ago we had a male sparrow claiming a house. There was new birds here so I did not want to scare them. Well I could not take it anymore so I released the crackin. The martins scattered and came right back and landed on the sparrow dominated house as if they knew axactly what just happened. S&S gotta go.