I hope you folks up North had a much better year than 2009. I know that some of you had a heartbreaking time last year. We fledged 213 young from 60 compartments this year at our colony in Piedmont, which slightly beat our old record of 204 in 2009. Still have three young ones in one compartment which are not due until August 3.
For the first time since installing bird netting 6 years ago, had a 5 foot rat snake escape the netting somehow and swallowed 3 young ones. I was home at the time and was alerted by about 30 birds fluttering around the compartment of my Troyer. Luckily, the snake made it into only one compartment. Normally, when I capture snakes, I try to cut them out of the netting and release them into an open field about 5 miles away. But not this one! My thinking, is the snake knows how to defeat the netting and I will not give him another chance. What is interesting about this event is that the snake accidently pushed out one baby PM which I found alive in the netting below the compartment. I relocated him to another house because I knew the adults would not return to the same compartment. This young one fledged with his new family around June 23. He is one lucky little bird.
I have caught numerous 5 foot ran snakes over the years. This house had more bird netting on it than the others. Wish I had witnessed how he managed to escape the netting. Hope everyone across the country had a good year - we certainly needed to put more PM's in the sky this year.
Good year for PM's in Piedmont, OK
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The Walvoords
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:31 am
- Location: Cleveland/Wisconsin
Congratulations on your successful year with the Purple Martins! Good job with that snake too, eeew. I am real glad we don't have pole climbing, bird eating snakes in Wisconsin. Its one less thing to cause them trouble.
The martins here did great this year even though 2009 was very bad with many young lost. I had 14 pairs build nests this spring, and alltogether they fledged 76 nestlings. I don't remember a year since 2006 ( that is when I began to watch this colony )when I had so many nests fledge 6 young. 4 or 5 was more normal. I too hope everyone in the north is having a year like mine. If so, that would be excellent for the Purple Martins!
Anna
The martins here did great this year even though 2009 was very bad with many young lost. I had 14 pairs build nests this spring, and alltogether they fledged 76 nestlings. I don't remember a year since 2006 ( that is when I began to watch this colony )when I had so many nests fledge 6 young. 4 or 5 was more normal. I too hope everyone in the north is having a year like mine. If so, that would be excellent for the Purple Martins!
Anna
Hi Ron,
Congratulations on a great year! I am sure glad you got to that snake in time! I have a stovepipe guard with netting on top. I have never had a rat snake breach that setup, but a 5 footer might be able to do it. I live in an urban area, and we have lots of rat snakes. I think the biggest I have seen in my yard was close to 4 feet. They really make it hard for songbirds nesting in the bushes to survive in the summer. In fact, a few years ago I was trimming my hedge, and a rat snake nonchanantly crawled right over my foot! I clearly felt him, before I looked down and saw it, because I was wearing a pair of thongs!
Gary
Congratulations on a great year! I am sure glad you got to that snake in time! I have a stovepipe guard with netting on top. I have never had a rat snake breach that setup, but a 5 footer might be able to do it. I live in an urban area, and we have lots of rat snakes. I think the biggest I have seen in my yard was close to 4 feet. They really make it hard for songbirds nesting in the bushes to survive in the summer. In fact, a few years ago I was trimming my hedge, and a rat snake nonchanantly crawled right over my foot! I clearly felt him, before I looked down and saw it, because I was wearing a pair of thongs!
Gary