It was a stormy evening and the temperature was dropping fast making it feel colder than it was here in south Louisiana. I got home at about 4:45 P.M. and noticed the gourds and Heath bird house completely full with martins on the perches and rods of the gourds. The winds had all rocking.
The martins seemed to come from everywhere and they filled the skies high and low across the pond. They just kept coming in until dark. I only have 36 compartments and each compartment had 4, 5 , 6, and 7 martins to go inside each one. There were still martins on the perches and rods and it was after dark before they could all cram themselves inside. It had to have been over 150 martins. I think they were migrating martins headed north and the storm forced them to suddenly seek shelter.
A couple of years ago around Feb 6th I only had two martins because it was still early. The weather suddenly turned very bad and I had 8 martins to go inside one compartment for a few hours and then I was back to the two martins. I think the other 6 martins were not mine and they had to suddenly cram inside one compartment to get out of the weather and keep warm.
What happened this evening was hard to believe so I took six pictures with my cell phone and I hope to figure out how to post them.
Freak of Nature
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
WOW - that's an incredible story, Gene! I would have loved to have seen that!
If you need help posting the pictures, you can email them to me at [email protected] and I will post them for you.
If you need help posting the pictures, you can email them to me at [email protected] and I will post them for you.
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN AT OUR PLACE. WE HAD ABOUT TWENTY MARTINS COME IN FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING A VERY BIG COLD FRONT WITH VERY STRONG NORTH WINDS CAME IN.BY MID MORNING WE STARTED HAVING WAVE AFTER WAVE OF MARTINS ARRIVING.BY NIGHT FALL THERE WAS SO MANY MARTINS THERE WAS QUITE A FEW IN EACH HOUSE AND GOURD. THE NEXT MORNING THE HOUSES AND THE GOURDS RACKS WERE COVERED WITH MARTINS PLUS THE ONES IN THE HOUSES AND GOURDS. I TRIED TO COUNT BUT THERE WAS TO MANY TO COUNT. OUR ESTIMATE THERE WAS WELL OVER 150. THEY STAYED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND BY DAY THREE MOST HAD MOVED ON. WE HAD ABOUT FIFTY STAY THE REST OF THE SEASON.
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Gene Crosby
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 1:16 pm
- Location: Louisiana / Bush
Wednesday evening I had about 24 to 26 to roost. I will be surprised if I have 36 to roost tomorrow. I could not determine how many were males or females because the weather was so bad and there was not much light. It was pouring rain and their feathers were fluffed out. They were coming in in bunches of about 25 martins.
I have one pair of swallows that raise two hatches every year. I put a box with straw in it under the patio and the swallows return every year. I enjoy them too, but not like the martins. The swallows are no longer scared of us and they sit in the nest even while we barbecue. They showed-up this evening and flew under the patio but I have not mounted their box yet. They then tried to fly onto the martin house but they could not due to it being so many martins. Out of the six years that I have had the swallows this is the second time I saw one try to lite on the martin house.
The swallows will move their young from the patio to the front porch when they get able to make short flights. They will continue to feed them for about 5 to 6 days. When I sat under the patio I can watch the martins and the swallows. Twice I have witnessed the baby swallows take its first flight and follow the parent to the front porch. Usually there is one runt in the group that stays for a day or two. You will notice the nest is empty and walk to the front porch to discover he finally made the flight to the front porch and joined his 3 siblings. All 6 will roost on the same ledge each year under the porch until the young fledge. The parents will then return to the nest under the patio to lay four more eggs. They will eventually move the young to the front porch.
Just something I thought people might not know about swallows.
I have one pair of swallows that raise two hatches every year. I put a box with straw in it under the patio and the swallows return every year. I enjoy them too, but not like the martins. The swallows are no longer scared of us and they sit in the nest even while we barbecue. They showed-up this evening and flew under the patio but I have not mounted their box yet. They then tried to fly onto the martin house but they could not due to it being so many martins. Out of the six years that I have had the swallows this is the second time I saw one try to lite on the martin house.
The swallows will move their young from the patio to the front porch when they get able to make short flights. They will continue to feed them for about 5 to 6 days. When I sat under the patio I can watch the martins and the swallows. Twice I have witnessed the baby swallows take its first flight and follow the parent to the front porch. Usually there is one runt in the group that stays for a day or two. You will notice the nest is empty and walk to the front porch to discover he finally made the flight to the front porch and joined his 3 siblings. All 6 will roost on the same ledge each year under the porch until the young fledge. The parents will then return to the nest under the patio to lay four more eggs. They will eventually move the young to the front porch.
Just something I thought people might not know about swallows.
this is exciting...would of been great to witness!!!! interesting behavior for sure and you must have a martin safe haven!!!! Have a great year!
2011 19 Pair, 108 eggs, 74 fledged
2010 9 Pair, 44 eggs, 30 fledged
Mast 1: western cedar T18 + 4 SREH tunneled gourds - 3"x3"x24' alum. custom fab mast
Mast 2: 11 Horizontal Gourds with custom Jack Petty entrances +6 SREH tunneled supergourd - 2in deluxe 18.
2010 9 Pair, 44 eggs, 30 fledged
Mast 1: western cedar T18 + 4 SREH tunneled gourds - 3"x3"x24' alum. custom fab mast
Mast 2: 11 Horizontal Gourds with custom Jack Petty entrances +6 SREH tunneled supergourd - 2in deluxe 18.