Past due date

[bbillyc]

We've got 4 young now at 32 days with mom and dad still actively feeding. I expected they would have fledged by now as all others in past years pretty much fledged on day 28. They are rotating positions at the entrance for food, appear really healthy. We've done nest changes and kept real good care of them protecting them from predators and parasites. They appear excellent in all respects but are making no move to fledge. Anybody else out there who has had this experience? I'm hoping they just really like the digs a lot, but instinct to fly has to take over pretty soon. When visiting PM's come by they make quite a racket and the young ones move away from the entrance and hide in the back of the gourde until the rowdy mob leaves.

[Laverne]

Hey Billy.

I don't know, I have, honestly, no idea when these young will fledge. Only they and their parents can answer your questions. But, I do know they "will" fledge. If there is nothing obstructing their exit -- they will go. Once, I had a homemade T-14 style house with batwing SREH. As the young grew in a late nest and began to sit at the entrance waiting for feeding, enough of their fecal sacs were not collected to build a small dam. This dam was tall enough to prevent their escape. I had to remove this material to give them a clear exit. They all fledged the day I did this. Just a small eye-opening experience for me. Checking your nests is a very important part of being a host to Purple Martins.

Good luck to you and your last nest of babies. Enjoy...

Sincerely,
Laverne

[bbillyc]

Thanks for the advice. I never thought of that because the parents go in and out freely several times per day with no difficulty at all.

[AllenH]

I have observed the same late fledge times on the last few nests to fledge this year. I only have 2 left to fledge and I believe they will be 33 days today and they go in and out of Conley II entrances but refuse to leave yet, maybe today or tomorrow.

It's been a good year for the PM's here.

[bbillyc]

My wife lowered the house today and checked the entrance and tunnel and nothing was blocking the entrance. One fledged about an hour later this morning and flew around very actively for two hours before returning. The landing left a bit to be desired but eventually the young one got back into the gourde with the others. Three left to fledge and likely they will go tomorrow. On an interesting not two king birds showed up and are aggressively trying to take the dragonflies away from the parents when they fly in to feed the young. So much so, that at one point they fell to the ground in a tussle. Nobody seems injured but I've never seen that in 18 years of doing this. Apparently they just like to bug Martins and are good hawk sentinels and will aggressively attack hawks, so maybe that's a good thing since there are so many hawks on the prowl around here.

[bbillyc]

All four fledged, healthy and strong, great on the wing. Mom and dad brought them in for the night which was really great.