Protective Purple Martin Hen
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Sandy - NC
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 6:40 pm
- Location: Rocky Mount, NC
Every year at both my home colony and my work colony, I have some Purple Martin hens that refuse to leave the nest when I lower the racks and do nest checks. Here is a picture of one from my home colony that I took yesterday. I reached my hand inside the gourd to see if I could count the eggs and what she would do, as I normally just wait them out until the chicks hatched. She didn't like my hand at all and actually attacked my hand. I am glad they make more noise that anything else. After that, I just decided to leave her alone, other than taking a picture.
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Sandy - NC
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 6:40 pm
- Location: Rocky Mount, NC
Ed, the weather here hasn't been that bad. I am only 125 miles from the coast. While we had have some nights in the high 40s to low 50s, it quickly warms up during the day. The mountains in the western part of the state "knocks" down a lot of the bad weather that comes from the west. I can't think of but one or two days that would be considered "nominal" for the adults to feed. And, at that time, I had no nestlings. Yesterday, I did dispose of three unhatched eggs as the other nestlings were large enough to let me know that those eggs would not hatch. I do feel for those who have been through the rough weather. Right now, I am at 75 pair with eggs, hatchlings, or both. That is 14 less pair than I had last year.
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DakotaLady
- Posts: 654
- Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:06 pm
- Location: Bismarck, ND
Sandy, you have 75 pair? That is wonderful! I bet that is a treat to watch and hear that many birds.
I had a couple girlfriends over last week and we were sitting on the deck for a little while and I was telling them I really wanted a super colony and explaining what that consisted of, they laughed their arses off and told me first I needed to get one pair to consistently stay...nothing wrong with having lofty goals.
How long does it take you to do nest checks for that many birds?
How fun!
P.S. Your female has a grouchy expression on her face. Thanks for sharing the photo.
I had a couple girlfriends over last week and we were sitting on the deck for a little while and I was telling them I really wanted a super colony and explaining what that consisted of, they laughed their arses off and told me first I needed to get one pair to consistently stay...nothing wrong with having lofty goals.
How long does it take you to do nest checks for that many birds?
How fun!
P.S. Your female has a grouchy expression on her face. Thanks for sharing the photo.
~Tangula~
2013 - 16 pair, 79 eggs, 71 fledged
2012 - 4 pair, 18 eggs, 18 fledged
2013 - 16 pair, 79 eggs, 71 fledged
2012 - 4 pair, 18 eggs, 18 fledged
Sandy,
I had one do that last year but sadly her eggs never hatched?
Rob.
I had one do that last year but sadly her eggs never hatched?
Rob.
2009. 98 eggs, 66 hatch, 61 fledged.
2010. 114 eggs, 89 hatch,70 fledged.
2011. 96 eggs. 80 hatch,68 fledged.Heavy Merlin preditation.
2012. 89 eggs. 56 hatch, good fledge. Guards installed. Merlin not sighted at houses.
2013. First Egg May 24, first Baby June 13.
2014. successful.
2015. successful.
2016. Martin's population decline, suspect new housing in the neighborhood. Merlin eating well also!
2017.Population explosion
. first egg May 25 in a BO-11
2018. Population stable.
2010. 114 eggs, 89 hatch,70 fledged.
2011. 96 eggs. 80 hatch,68 fledged.Heavy Merlin preditation.
2012. 89 eggs. 56 hatch, good fledge. Guards installed. Merlin not sighted at houses.
2013. First Egg May 24, first Baby June 13.
2014. successful.
2015. successful.
2016. Martin's population decline, suspect new housing in the neighborhood. Merlin eating well also!
2017.Population explosion
. first egg May 25 in a BO-112018. Population stable.
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Sandy - NC
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 6:40 pm
- Location: Rocky Mount, NC
She was a little grouchy because I took this picture after I reached my hand in to move the oak leaves and she decided to attack my hand. Not that she could do any damage or just squawk.
DakotaLady, it takes just a little over an hour to do nest checks. I have 6 racks. I do three, then take a break for about 1/2 hour to give the birds a chance to settle down, feed, incubate, or whatever they need to do, then I go do the other three.
At work, I have two Gemini racks, at last week's nest check revealved 30 pairs with 137 eggs. I only have room for 48 pair at work. This is the second year for the work colony. The first year, I only had 10 pair at work.
DakotaLady, it takes just a little over an hour to do nest checks. I have 6 racks. I do three, then take a break for about 1/2 hour to give the birds a chance to settle down, feed, incubate, or whatever they need to do, then I go do the other three.
At work, I have two Gemini racks, at last week's nest check revealved 30 pairs with 137 eggs. I only have room for 48 pair at work. This is the second year for the work colony. The first year, I only had 10 pair at work.
I had 3 hens stay on today. I've never had more than one during any nest check. They must be getting used to me. The Subbies are all going crazy with green leaves from my river Birch today. The adults have all laid their eggs and most have hatched already. This is round two.
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Courtney-NC
- Posts: 592
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:28 pm
- Location: Holly Springs, NC
- Martin Colony History: 2009-2015-Helped to manage Raleigh site, 36 cavities
2016- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 1 pair at home site.
2017- 34 pairs at Raleigh site, 3 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2018- 33 pairs at Raleigh site, 5 pairs + extra SYs at home site
2019 - 32 pairs at Raleigh site, 7 pairs at home site, 2 pairs at new Holly Springs park site
Sounds great, Allan and Sandy. Are neither one of y'all full up this year?
-Courtney
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NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org
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NC Purple Martin Society (PMCA affiliate)
http://www.ncpurplemartin.org
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Sandy - NC
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 6:40 pm
- Location: Rocky Mount, NC
Courtney, at the home colony, no. In fact, only 75 pair which is down from the 89 pair last year. Of course, there is still time for more. Got 114 cavities at home.
At work, got 30 pair, up from the 10 pair last year. Not a bad growth for a second year colony. We got 48 cavities at work.
Maybe my work colony is stealing birds from my home colony even though they are 12 miles apart!!!!!!
At work, got 30 pair, up from the 10 pair last year. Not a bad growth for a second year colony. We got 48 cavities at work.
Maybe my work colony is stealing birds from my home colony even though they are 12 miles apart!!!!!!
Courtney, I've still got room. 62 of 72 gourds are full. Additionally, my elderly neighbor finally got three pair after I erected and monitored his rack the past 3 years. He finally has eggs! He had some lookers last year that teased us. He is elated. He had Martins for 20 years and did not control the Starlings and snakes, anyway he lost them for the last 1o years, but he has them back!