Loses

[Tim Mangan-Kansas]

I went to our old house yesterday to conduct a nest check. In one house on my MP pole, six compartments, I had four nests where all the nestlings were gone and the fifth nest only had one nestling remaining from a clutch of three. The sixth nest in this house still had all five nestlings. They were older than the nestlings from the other five nests.

There were 19 nestlings gone from this house ranging in age from one day old to seven days old since my last nest check on June 4th.

After seeing the second empy nest my first thought was a snake got past my PVC pipe and snake netting. I was VERY careful when opening the remaining access doors. No sign of a snake. There are owls in the neighborhood but my housing contains owl guards and divided compartments. Don't see any way an owl could get to the nestlings.

My only conclusion for now is a very active unmated SY male is responsible. All the nestlings were about the right age for infanticide. Older nestlings in the second house and six gourds underneath were are fine.

Has anyone had a SY male do this much damage? Since I no longer live at the house, I am unable to monitor during the day and only get back about every four or five days. The season was going so well.

Tim

[Louise Chambers]

So sorry, Tim, that stinks I know my first year here in TX, I lost 4, maybe 5 entire nests to subbies - eggs and small young.

But I don't know what you could have done to prevent it, with fewer cavities available due to your move. Hopefully there will be some renesting now, that will make up for some or all of the losses.

Louise

[Peggy Riley]

Tim, this is one issue I have personally decided not to think too much about. I do the best I can to keep all the other predators away but I can't do anything about the SY males. I just make my notes, wish it hadn't happened and then move on.

I'm sorry you had such a lousy nest check.
Peggy

[Paul Stein]

Hi Tim, I too think I had a gourd hit my a sy bird. I have (had) 5 gourds with babies and just watching parents feeding them. The constant in and out with bugs.Last saturday one of my gourds with little ones was just empty. Just like they vanished! I checked and the nest looked fine and the male and female fly and look in and kind of timidly enter then just fly and sit on the racks. The pair seem to be renesting in a gourd on another pole and occasionally go in their old gourd. Just a mystery. I have seen the sy's looking in the other gourds just as they had that one but never seen them go in an active gourd. Of course I have seen the other males return to find a sy clinging on the gourd looking in and they proceed to jump on him and kick butt but that only temporarily deters them. I have been wondering what happened and that is the only thing I could think of. No sign of marks on the gourd like an owl attack and (knock on wood) no snakes (I have several guards in place). I had gone from 3 pair last year to 5 this year but now appear to be at 4. Maybe the pair will start over but it seems kind of late. Paul Stein

[KathyF]

Oh Tim - I'm so sorry to hear about your babies.

I know you're probably down about it, but you're right - it really sounds like an SY male and there's nothing you could have done any differently to save them. I've never had an SY male do that much damage. Is there any way to set up a couple of gourds on a temporary pole. With less housing, there might be just way too much competition there.

I'm looking forward to hearing your reports next year when you get new arrivals at your new colony and can start over.

[M.Stephens]

Tim, sooo! sorry , You were having such a good year , unfortunately with not enough housing SY's are probably your culprit . Man I sure hope you can bounce back at your new place next year. I'm sure you will with all the hard work you've done. Wish there was something I could do!